If Scott Bakula’s comeback, Star Trek: United, happens, there would be a pivotal shift in the character of Jonathan Archer from how he was portrayed in Star Trek: Enterprise. Bakula played Captain Archer in four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise, and fans’ imaginations are inflamed by the possibility of Scott returning to Star Trek.
Star Trek: Enterprise writer-producer Michael Sussman hatched an idea with Scott Bakula for a new Star Trek series about President Jonathan Archer. Conceived as a political thriller and family drama, Star Trek: United would be about President Archer and his children working to save the young Federation.
Star Trek: United is only an idea and isn’t a real series, but ever since the news broke in August that Scott Bakula’s Star Trek comeback was a possibility, interest and excitement have only grown. Even legendary concept artist Andrew Probert worked with Mike Sussman on designing President Archer’s new starship after the NX-01 Enterprise.
Michael Sussman appeared on Virtual Trek Con’s Star Trek and Chill podcast to talk about Star Trek: United, and his explanation for how President Archer would be different from Captain Archer is intriguing and posits a necessary change to Jonathan. Check out the podcast below:
Star Trek: United Would Make Archer More Like Scott Bakula
On Star Trek and Chill, Michael Sussman answered a question about how much input Scott Bakula had on the fact that President Archer has four adult children in Star Trek: United. In his answer below, Sussman explained how Star Trek: United would make Archer a lot more like Bakula:
He had quite a fair amount of input. So my initial idea was to take Archer in a direction [and] make him more like Scott, and the Scott that I knew. Part of it was, Scott made very clear [that] he played Archer for four years across 98 episodes. That’s a lot. He definitely didn’t want to come back and just do the same show…
In Star Trek: United, President Archer has four adult children working in different places throughout the galaxy. One of Archer’s kids works for Federation Intelligence, another works in diplomacy, and Archer has a son in Starfleet, but who uses the surname of his mother, “Hernandez,” instead of Archer.
Michael Sussman previously revealed that the mother of one of President Archer’s sons is Captain Erika Hernandez (Ada Maris). Erika was introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise season 4 as a former flame of Archer’s who became Captain of the NX-02 Columbia. It’s unclear if Archer and Hernandez ever married, however, or if Erika is the mother of more of Jonathan’s children.
President Archer having four children would reflect Scott Bakula in real life. Bakula also has four children; two with his first wife, Krista Neumann, and two with his second wife, Chelsea Field. While there’s no confirmation on whether Archer married, his offspring, at least, bring him closer to Scott Bakula as a family man.
Archer Changed A Lot In Star Trek: Enterprise’s 4 Seasons
As Michael Sussman pointed out, Captain Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise was a character Scott Bakula played for 98 episodes, and Archer was very different from the real Scott Bakula. Meanwhile, Captain Archer underwent an evolution of his character throughout Star Trek: Enterprise.
When Enterprise began, Captain Archer was an idealistic, if naive, explorer, who was a little entitled and resentful of the Vulcans. When the Xindi attacked Earth, which changed Star Trek: Enterprise season 3, Archer changed as well, becoming more obsessed, headstrong, and making controversial decisions.
In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4, Captain Archer felt the toll the campaign against the Xindi took on him, but he was still hotheaded. Star Trek: Enterprise‘s series finale then jumped several years to 2161, with Archer transitioning into a more statesman-like role that planted the seed for his future as President of the Federation.
Star Trek’s Greatest Captains Became More And More Like The Actors Who Played Them
On Star Trek and Chill, Michael Sussman also explained that his desire to more closely fuse President Archer in Star Trek: United with the real life Scott Bakula reflects on how other Star Trek Captains became more and more like the actors who played them over time:
It was certainly true at the time, and I think became more true over time, that Archer was very different from Scott. Which is interesting, because I’ve certainly seen interviews with Bill Shatner and Kate Mulgrew, and they talk about their characters, and how they’ve sort of like mind-melded with them. They think they and their characters have very similar mindsets, and would probably take similar actions.
This is the case with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). All three of those legendary Star Trek Captains gradually morphed from characters those actors played into closer reflections of the actors themselves, especially as they got older.
In the Star Trek movies, Captain Kirk took on more of William Shatner’s personality and flourishes, such as Mr. Shatner’s love for horses. Kirk passing the torch to Picard as Captain of the Enterprise in Star Trek Generations was very much Shatner bowing out gracefully for Patrick Stewart.
Kate Mulgrew is rightfully proud of Captain Janeway as an inspiration to countless young women who went onto careers in the sciences, and Mulgrew was fused into Admiral Janeway when she returned in Star Trek: Prodigy. In real life, Mulgrew also carries herself with the earned authority of Admiral Janeway and receives that same reverence from fans.
When Patrick Stewart returned as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard, he didn’t want to play the same Jean-Luc in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Instead, Stewart made Picard, who was no longer the indefatigable Captain of the Enterprise, closer to who he was at this later stage in his life.
Star Trek: United, if it happens, plans to go even further by making President Archer much closer to the real life Scott Bakula. Archer would, of course, still be a character, but one whose private life would be a dramatic reflection set in the Star Trek universe of Bakula as the father of four adult children (who may have different mothers).
Scott Bakula is universally praised as a gentleman, a leader, and a wonderful human being, especially by his former cast and crew of Star Trek: Enterprise. Star Trek: United making President Archer more like Scott Bakula not only makes sense, but it’s another aspect of Bakula’s proposed comeback fans are dying to see.
- Release Date
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2005 – 2004
- Showrunner
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Brannon Braga
- Directors
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Brannon Braga
