Star Trek’s Robert Picardo Pens Strong Message About Franchise’s History Ahead Of Starfleet Academy

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With the 60th anniversary of Star Trek being celebrated this year, anticipation is building for the new show Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, set to premiere in 2026. Since the first trailer was released, reactions have been strong, and some critical viewers have used the term “woke” to express their concerns. Robert Picardo, a long-time actor in the franchise, recently shared his thoughts in a powerful statement before the show’s release.

Robert Picardo, known for playing the Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager, is returning to the Star Trek universe in Starfleet Academy. Before the series premieres with two episodes on January 15th for Paramount+ subscribers, Picardo shared some thoughts on Twitter about the franchise—which is celebrating a significant year—and addressed some fan reactions to its current direction. He started by…

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, and I’m proud to have been involved with it for over half of that time. There’s a lot of debate about what Star Trek truly is, what it should be, and whether the newer shows would have pleased its creator, Gene Roddenberry, or disappointed him.

The actor’s recent statement seems to echo comments made by William Shatner at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. At that time, Shatner jokingly said that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry would be upset with the current state of the show. While Shatner later explained to TopMob in 2024 that he was specifically referring to on-screen relationships, critics of the show’s recent changes have used the quote to criticize the show’s diverse casting and accuse it of being overly focused on social issues.

Robert Picardo discussed the term “woke,” particularly how it’s sometimes used negatively when talking about Star Trek. He pointed out that being “woke” – promoting awareness of social injustices – has actually been a core value of Star Trek all along.

I’ve always felt that Star Trek was ahead of its time, championing inclusivity and fairness long before anyone used terms like ‘woke.’ It’s disheartening to see that word now used as an insult, even twisted to justify hate, but honestly, the core message of Star Trek – that belief in equality and understanding – still resonates deeply with me. It’s a hopeful, powerful message that I think is more important than ever, if you really listen.

He’s correct – Star Trek has always been a champion of forward-thinking ideas, often taking stands when they weren’t mainstream. Because of this, every series has faced criticism and sparked plenty of discussion about the choices made by the shows.

This discussion centers around the core idea of what Star Trek represents, so it’s fitting to turn to Gene Roddenberry – the show’s creator – for insight. Like William Shatner did previously, Robert Picardo recently quoted Roddenberry when addressing this question.

There will always be discussions about what Star Trek is ‘supposed’ to be, but looking into the creator’s vision reveals his core message: He believed humanity would truly grow up when we learned to appreciate all kinds of life and perspectives. – Gene Roddenberry

As we discussed, Picardo shared these thoughts before the upcoming series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. This show will follow the first group of new cadets at the Academy after the event known as “The Burn,” which stopped warp travel for over a hundred years. The series will expand on the 32nd Century setting that viewers saw in seasons 3 through 5 of Discovery.

This work is also intended to reflect the challenges faced by young adults today. It’s interesting to note that even those who heavily critique Starfleet Academy might actually support its core message: that learning to accept and trust others, despite past difficulties, is essential. I’ve explored my thoughts on Starfleet Academy in more detail, and I’m very optimistic about what the future holds for it.

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Robert Picardo is back as the Emergency Medical Hologram in the new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which streams on Paramount+ on Thursdays. He’s a standout performer, but honestly, the whole cast is fantastic.

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2026-01-12 03:40