Part of the fun of the setting of ‘Star Trek: Discovery‘ is that it opens the door to not only fill in gaps or otherwise explore the minutiae of ‘Star Trek’ continuity, but also to revisit (or “pre-visit,” as it were) any number of familiar faces from the original series. Though various public statements regarding the plot of ‘Discovery’ have alluded to a storyline that deals with some heretofore unexplored element of ‘Star Trek’ history, word on classic characters who might appear has been few and far between until recently.
The first indication of classic ‘Star Trek’ characters appearing on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ was the announcement that actor James Frain had been cast as Spock’s father, Ambassador Sarek. Now we can add another character to that list, as it was announced today that Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on the American version of ‘The Office’ would be joining the cast as Harry Mudd.
Harry Mudd is known to fans of the original ‘Star Trek’ as an interstellar con man and (along with Ricardo Montalban’s Khan Noonien Singh) one of the only foes to trouble Kirk and the Enterprise on more than one occasion. Played by Roger C. Carmel, the character appeared in three rather memorable outings, twice on the original series and once on the short-lived 1970s animated series.
Pesonally? I’m excited to see what Rainn Wilson brings to the part. While I’m not sure I can recall seeing him give a performance quite as… boisterous as what Roger C. Carmel brought to his three appearances as the character, Wilson is nothing if not a versatile comedic actor.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is currently scheduled to premiere later this year on the CBS All Access streaming service, though a specific date has yet to be set. The series’ confirmed cast includes Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Jason Isaacs, Anthony Rapp, James Frain, Michelle Yeoh, Terry Serpico, Maulik Pancholy, Sam Vartholomeos, Shazad Latif, Chris Obi, and Mary Chieffo.
Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more great ‘Star Trek’ content, including more news on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ as it becomes available!
