Data’s Fate: Writer & TNG Cast On Star Trek: Nemesis’ Controversial Ending

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John Logan, a three-time Academy Award nominee for his writing, shares the opinion of Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes: the character of Data didn’t actually die in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis. Logan wrote the screenplay for Nemesis, directed by Stuart Baird, but the movie ended up being the least financially successful Star Trek film ever released.

A major reason fans didn’t like Star Trek: Nemesis was the death of the character Data. His sacrifice to save Captain Picard and the Enterprise-E felt repetitive, echoing the death of Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Interestingly, the film also introduced B-4, an android who was a flawed copy of Data, and into whom Data transferred his memories.

John Logan recently appeared on the podcast Dropping Names… And Other Things with Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes. They had a lively and fascinating discussion about Logan’s impressive career, which includes writing hit films like Gladiator, The Aviator, and Skyfall, as well as Star Trek: Nemesis. The conversation kicked off with Logan firmly stating that Data did not die in Star Trek: Nemesis. You can find key quotes from the discussion below.

Jonathan Frakes asks a frequently asked question: Did Data actually die in the movie Nemesis?

John Logan: NO!

Jonathan Frakes: Thank you very much! That’s the author right there. That’s my answer.

John Logan: NO!

Brent Spiner: I never thought so.

John Logan: NO!

Brent Spiner: I wanted him to. But I didn’t think it was happening, really.

Watch John Logan on Dropping Names… And Other Things below:

The character B-4 likely explains why John Logan strongly believes Data didn’t truly die in Star Trek: Nemesis. At the end of the film, B-4 started behaving in ways that suggested Data’s personality was taking over. If Nemesis had performed better, a fifth Next Generation movie – potentially written by Logan – probably would have brought Data back to life, using B-4’s body as a replacement.

Although the filmmakers originally planned differently in 2002, official Star Trek storylines state that Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis. This was because no further Star Trek: The Next Generation movies were ever made. Data’s death was definitively confirmed at the end of the first season of Star Trek: Picard, when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) honored and said farewell to the android, effectively giving his consciousness peace.

After 21 years, the character Data returned in season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, following his apparent death in Star Trek: Nemesis. Thanks to showrunner Terry Matalas, Data was brought back as a more human-like synthetic being, now capable of experiencing emotions. This new version also included aspects of the personalities of those connected to him, like Lore and Dr. Altan Soong. Eventually, Data overcame Lore’s influence and gained complete control over himself and his feelings.

John Logan had envisioned bringing Data back to the screen if he’d continued writing Star Trek films, potentially by using B-4 as a rebuilt version of the character. However, Brent Spiner, the actor who played Data, initially preferred the character to remain deceased, partly because he felt he was getting older and less suited for the role. Ultimately, Data did return in Star Trek: Picard season 3, with a storyline explaining his aging process.

Unfortunately, Star Trek: Nemesis effectively ended the film series for Star Trek: The Next Generation. This means fans will never know what might have happened if a sequel had brought Data back to life using the body of B-4.

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2026-02-13 03:18