Star Trek and Doctor Who are two of the longest-running sci-fi franchises of all time, both having endured for decades thanks to a legacy of memorable characters and entertaining, thought-provoking stories. Though the two properties are very distinct with their unique iconographies and concepts, they’re very much cut from similar cloth, which is why it isn’t surprising to see they have alluded to one another in the past. Both have included fun Easter eggs referencing one another in various projects, and more recently, an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made an explicit reference to a “time-travelling Doctor,” which only further sparked hopes for a proper crossover. Now, one actor from Strange New Worlds has offered a pitch.
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According to TrekMovie, Strange New Worlds star Christina Chong would be interested in a Star Trek/Doctor Who crossover that establishes her Doctor Who character Lorna Bucket “is somehow also La’an from [Strange New Worlds]”:
“So what I would do is – I played character called Lorna Bucket in “A Good Man Goes to War,” one of Matt Smith’s episodes – and I would somehow find a way to make La’an and Lorna Bucket the same character. And create a story as to why Lorna Bucket was in the Whoniverse and what brought her to Trekverse. I don’t know what that reason would be right now.”
TrekMovie also added that when the fan suggested they could be augment twins separated at birth, Chong said she loved the idea.
A Star Trek/Doctor Who Crossover Would Be Perfect, But Can It Happen?
Assuming all parties involved were able to come up with solutions for whatever corporate red tape there’d be (an actual crossover between characters is very different than making a humorous reference in dialogue), it would be great to see Star Trek and Doctor Who cross paths. It wouldn’t feel like the filmmakers smashing the action figures together just because it’s cool; the shared DNA between the two classic franchises would make it a natural fit where Star Trek and Doctor Who would complement each other thematically. And the Strange New Worlds creative team hasn’t been afraid to think outside the box with unique concepts (see: the musical episode, the Jim Henson puppet episode), so bringing Doctor Who into the fold wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.
Strange New Worlds is ending after its fifth season, which started production a couple of months ago. That outing is intended to be shorter than previous seasons, meaning there might not be room for something as ambitious as a full-on Doctor Who crossover on the main show, but the producers are interested in developing some kind of Strange New Worlds sequel series that explores more untapped areas of the Star Trek timeline. Perhaps a Doctor Who crossover could happen in a theoretical spinoff, assuming such a project ever gets off the ground. That would be a fun way to follow up on the teases seen in Strange New Worlds (which also featured a TARDIS cameo).
Whether or not Chong’s idea comes to fruition will depend on what the higher-ups have to say. In the wake of the Skydance/Paramount merger becoming official, Star Trek has emerged as a top priority for the studio moving forward, and there’s a new movie in the works from directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Paramount is also interested in establishing a greater sense of synergy between Star Trek TV and movie projects, so it remains to be seen if a Doctor Who crossover aligns with that overall vision. With Strange New Worlds coming to a close, Paramount could opt to essentially wipe the slate clean, creating easier entry points for new audiences. Goldstein and Daley’s movie is going to be “a completely new take” that isn’t connected to any of the previous films.
When you factor in the currently uncertain state of the Doctor Who franchise right now (star Ncuti Gatwa is leaving and Disney+ cancelled the show after just two seasons), there are a few hurdles preventing a Star Trek/Doctor Who crossover from taking place any time soon. Right now, it looks like both properties are about to begin new eras, and it’ll be more important for the respective creative teams to ensure both are on sturdy ground on their own merits before even thinking about anything as grandiose as an actual crossover. This long-awaited event wouldn’t be nearly as special if Star Trek and Doctor Who weren’t in good places when it finally happened.
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Courtesy of Netflix
