Robert Picardo, beloved for his role as The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager, is returning to the franchise in the new series Starfleet Academy, set to premiere in 2026. Fans are thrilled about his return, with many considering The Doctor one of the greatest characters in Star Trek history. Picardo himself suggests his character, now with a slightly updated holographic appearance, could become a wise and guiding figure for the new series, much like Yoda in Star Wars.
Patrick Stewart, having the most experience with Star Trek among the cast of Starfleet Academy, is now leading the way in this new series. He recently spoke with SFX Magazine about the show, which premieres in January on Paramount+ (available to subscribers). When asked if he hesitated to return to the Star Trek universe, Stewart brought up his character’s appearance as part of his answer.
It’s understandable to wonder how fans will react. Voyager is a classic Star Trek series, and I’m taking on a role that’s supposed to remain consistent. The challenge is that I’m the actor playing the character now, and I’ve changed over the years – I’m older, and my appearance is a bit different.
In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the Emergency Medical Hologram gained the ability to age thanks to a new program. It’s a nice touch that explains his older appearance. Seeing how quickly Q altered his look in Picard Season 2, I suspected the writers could easily come up with a way to do this.
Robert Picardo discussed how his experience playing the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) influenced his portrayal of Yoda. In the 32nd century, the EMH will be teaching at the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. Having existed for almost a thousand years, the character has gained significant wisdom and experience.
I reimagined the character as someone with more depth and life experience, while still maintaining his signature wit and tendency to look down on those he considered slow to understand. He carries the weight of generations, and I like to think of myself as the ‘Yoda’ of Star Trek – though thankfully, I’m not green and my ears aren’t nearly as large.
That was a funny joke, Master Yoda! But getting serious, that’s a really good way to think about the Emergency Medical Hologram as we approach Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. He has access to centuries of Starfleet information, which we saw in the Voyager episode where a copy of him was preserved in a future museum.
Production on the first season of Starfleet Academy is finished, but seeing recent posts from the cast has left me wondering about one big thing.
It’s easy to picture Robert Picardo guiding the new actors on this Star Trek show, both in front of and behind the camera, much like a mentor. I’m hoping this new cast will develop the same strong, off-screen friendships that the cast of The Next Generation shared.
The series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century, after the events of ‘The Burn’ which were introduced in Season 3 of Discovery. The show will follow Starfleet cadets as they train, and it will also reveal how familiar alien species have evolved over the next thousand years. Since Discovery only briefly showed us the 32nd century, I’m particularly excited to learn more about these changes to the species.
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Fans are eagerly awaiting the premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on Paramount+ on January 15th as part of the 2026 TV lineup. Everyone is curious to see if Robert Picardo’s character, the Emergency Medical Hologram, will live up to the high expectations, and whether this new series will be another success for the popular Star Trek franchise.
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2025-12-31 17:09