Nana Visitor’s Surprising Star Trek Crossover Choice For DS9

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You know, as a huge Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan, I always wondered which character from another series Nana Visitor – who played Kira Nerys for all seven seasons, of course – would have loved to see clash with Sisko. And it turns out her pick is pretty unexpected! She’d have jumped at the chance to have that dynamic with a certain someone. It’s a fun thought experiment, imagining those two going head-to-head.

In 2024, Nana Visitor published the book Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek. The book features interviews with numerous women who have been part of the Star Trek universe, and it explores how female characters have changed over time – from the original series in the 1960s to the more developed roles seen in recent Star Trek shows on Paramount+.

Nana Visitor, known for her role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, recently spoke with John Orquiola of Ebaster about her time on the show and her upcoming appearance at the ST: CHI – Trek to Chicago convention. During the interview, she was asked which female character from another Star Trek series she’d like to have joined the cast of Deep Space Nine, and her response was unexpected. Here’s what she had to say:

If you could travel back in time and add a female character from any other Star Trek series to Deep Space Nine, who would you choose and why would she be a good fit?

I was expecting a question about who I’d most like to interview, and that would definitely be Grace Lee Whitney. But thinking about adding someone to the show, I’d love to work with Kate Mulgrew. She just has that commanding presence of a captain, and it would really shake things up. I’m curious how that dynamic would play out – I can already picture the tension, especially with Captain Sisko. They’re both very strong personalities, and I think that clash would be fascinating to watch.

Kate Mulgrew famously captained the starship Voyager for seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, around the same time as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was airing. It’s interesting to imagine Captain Janeway commanding Deep Space Nine, because her leadership approach is quite different from Captain Sisko’s. Nana Visitor is correct – the two captains likely wouldn’t have seen eye to eye.

In season 4 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Lt. Commander Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation joined the show, but it took him a while to adjust to life on the station. Introducing Captain Janeway would create an even bigger culture clash, and because she’s the same rank as Captain Sisko, they would likely clash over leadership.

I remember watching the very first episode of Star Trek: Voyager, “Caretaker.” It started with Voyager at Deep Space Nine, but before they were lost way over in the Delta Quadrant, it was interesting to see that Captain Janeway didn’t actually go inside the station. It was just Ensign Harry Kim and Lieutenant Tom Paris who got to interact with Quark and the other regulars there.

There’s a chance Captain Janeway and Captain Sisko met briefly during the first episode of Star Trek: Voyager. But Nana Visitor, who played Kira Nerys, suggested a more extended appearance for Janeway on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which could have created a really interesting and dramatic interaction between two of the franchise’s most iconic captains.

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2025-11-20 05:08