Patrick Stewart is impossible to replace, but this actor would make a great Captain Jean-Luc Picard if Star Trek: The Next Generation ever gets brought into the Kelvin timeline. With Star Trek (2009), J.J. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise on the big screen, bringing in new actors to portray the franchise's most iconic characters. Because they took place in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Star Trek (2009) and its two sequels became part of official Star Trek canon. Considering the long wait for Star Trek 4, the franchise may introduce its version of the TNG characters sooner rather than later.
While events play out differently in the Kelvin timeline, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and most of his crew still end up on the USS Enterprise. Admittedly, it could continue to diverge from Star Trek's prime timeline, but it's still likely that Captain Jean-Luc Picard and at least some of his TNG crew members will end up on the Enterprise-D. It's difficult to imagine anyone else portraying the captain and crew from TNG, but it would be cool to see how their adventures play out in the Kelvin timeline.
Toby Stephens Would Be A Great Captain Picard (Even If Replacing Patrick Stewart Is Impossible)
Stephens Has The Acting Chops To Play A Perfect Picard
While Patrick Stewart will always be the definitive Captain Jean-Luc Picard, English actor Toby Stephens would be the perfect choice to portray the Enterprise-D captain in the Kelvin timeline. Like Patrick Stewart, Toby Stephens has a background in theater and has appeared in numerous Shakespearean productions throughout his career. Stephens may be most well-known for portraying the intense and compelling Captain James Flint in Starz's excellent pirate drama Black Sails. While Flint may be a very different character from Picard, the role proved that Toby Stephens can command a scene, as well as a rowdy pirate crew.
As Captain Flint in Black Sails, Stephens portrayed a strong and intelligent leader, who could deliver a powerful speech and hold his own in a fight. These are all traits that could be easily transferred to Picard, minus the violence of Flint's life of piracy. Stephens also portrayed a strong leader in Lost in Space, although John Robinson is much more of a family man than Picard ever was. From his Shakespearean history to his ability to command a room, Toby Stephens would be a perfect choice to play an updated version of Captain Picard.
A Kelvin Timeline Version Of Star Trek: The Next Generation Is Inevitable At Some Point
How Did The TNG Characters Fair In The Kelvin Timeline?
All three of the Kelvin timeline Star Trek films received strong reviews from critics and performed well at the box office. While Star Trek 4 has been in the works for a while, it remains to be seen whether the story of Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and his crew will ever get a proper conclusion. With the success of the Kelvin timeline films and prequels like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it seems inevitable that Star Trek: The Next Generation will get the reboot treatment at some point.The adventures of Patrick Stewart's Captain Picard and his crew still make for excellent television, but that doesn't mean a new story set in the Kelvin timeline would not also be fun. There's a lot to like about Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond, and they introduced a ton of new people to the Star Trek franchise. While Star Trek is much more than prequels, sequels, and reboots, it would be fun to see how the events of the Kelvin timeline films altered the lives of Star Trek: The Next Generation's beloved characters.
