Every Next Generation Star Who’s Returned to Star Trek in the Last 10 Years

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In 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation brought a new generation of fans to the world of space exploration, proving the franchise could succeed even after William Shatner’s time as Captain Kirk. Led by Patrick Stewart as the strong and thoughtful Jean-Luc Picard, and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise-D, the show captivated audiences for seven memorable seasons, creating lasting icons in the process.

Over the past ten years, Star Trek has seen a resurgence thanks to new shows on Paramount+ like Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds. Most of the original cast of The Next Generation have reprised their roles in these recent series, particularly in Star Trek: Picard, which offered a final chapter for those iconic characters. Beyond Picard, many of these actors have made guest appearances in multiple new Star Trek shows, and we’ve put together a complete guide to all the TNG stars we’ve seen – or heard – in the last decade.

9) Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher (Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy)

Wil Wheaton reprised his role as Wesley Crusher in several recent Star Trek series. He appeared in the final episode of Picard Season 2 as a more developed version of the Traveler, who enlists Kore Soong. He then played a significant part in Season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy, assisting the Protostar crew in their fight against the Loom and restoring the timeline. The season concluded with Wesley reuniting with his mother, Beverly Crusher, and meeting his half-brother, Jack. Wheaton also lent his voice to an animated version of Wesley in Lower Decks Season 4, showing his time at the Academy with Nick Locarno and Sito Jaxa. While Wesley was a sometimes-divisive character during his initial run on The Next Generation (seasons 1-4), many fans were disappointed by his lack of appearance in Picard Season 3.

8) Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi (Picard, Lower Decks)

Marina Sirtis reprised her role as Deanna Troi in the popular Picard episode “Nepenthe,” which showed Troi and Riker enjoying a peaceful family life. She also appeared throughout Picard Season 3 and provided the voice of Troi for the finale of Lower Decks Season 1, “No Small Parts.” While Sirtis played Troi for all seven seasons of The Next Generation, the character wasn’t always fully developed, and storylines often focused on her empathic powers. Picard allowed Troi to show more emotional depth, especially in dealing with loss and grief.

7) Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher (Picard, Prodigy)

As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I was thrilled to see Gates McFadden back as Beverly Crusher in Season 3 of Picard. It turned out she’d been secretly raising Picard’s son, Jack, which became the heart of the whole season! It’s been great seeing her pop up in Prodigy too – first as a hologram in Season 1, and then making a real appearance in the Season 2 finale. Of course, many of us remember she was briefly missing from Season 2 of TNG, but thankfully she came back and stayed until the very end. And after decades of will-they-won’t-they, Picard finally gave Beverly and Picard the closure we’d all been hoping for – it was really satisfying to see!

6) LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge (Picard)

LeVar Burton reprised his role as Commodore Geordi La Forge in Season 3 of Picard, this time as a curator at the Fleet Museum. He was instrumental in bringing the Enterprise-D back to life and looking after his daughters, Sidney and Alandra, who are now Starfleet officers. Burton was a main cast member throughout all seven seasons of The Next Generation and went on to direct 29 episodes of various Star Trek shows, becoming a highly respected director. His character’s friendship with Data remains a favorite among fans. Alongside his well-known work hosting Reading Rainbow, Burton’s return to Star Trek solidified his place as one of the franchise’s most cherished figures.

5) Michael Dorn as Worf (Picard)

Michael Dorn made a fantastic return as Worf in Season 3 of Picard. He played the character as a calmer, more thoughtful warrior, now working as a subspace ranger, and quickly became a fan favorite. Dorn has appeared in more Star Trek installments than anyone else, thanks to his long-running roles on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Worf’s development—from an uncertain outsider to a fierce fighter and finally to a peaceful leader—is considered one of the strongest character arcs in Star Trek history, and his return in Season 3 was widely celebrated as a perfect example of how to bring a beloved character back to life.

4) John de Lancie as Q (Lower Decks, Picard, Strange New Worlds)

John de Lancie has reprised his role as the omnipotent being Q in several recent Star Trek series. He made a brief appearance in Lower Decks Season 1, and then played a more significant role as the primary antagonist in Picard Season 2. In that season, Q was shown to be losing his powers and facing his own mortality after drastically altering the timeline and sending Picard and his crew back to 2024 to fix it. The season culminated in a farewell scene where Q seemingly died after restoring the timeline. However, de Lancie later appeared in a post-credits scene in Picard Season 3, hinting at his continued interest in the Crusher family. Most recently, he voiced Q in Strange New Worlds Season 3, which revealed a connection between Q and Trelane from the classic episode “The Squire of Gothos,” establishing that Trelane is also part of the Q Continuum.

3) Jonathan Frakes as William Riker (Picard, Lower Decks)

Jonathan Frakes reprised his role as Riker in several recent Star Trek series. He appeared in Season 1 of Picard in the episode “Nepenthe,” where it’s revealed he and Deanna Troi are living on the planet Nepenthe after retiring from Starfleet. In that episode, he briefly led a Starfleet team to protect Picard and Soji from the Romulans. He returned as captain of the USS Titan-A in Season 3, playing a significant part in the storylines involving the Changelings and the Borg. Frakes also provided the voice of Riker in multiple episodes of Lower Decks between 2020 and 2024, including “No Small Parts” and “First First Contact.” Beyond acting, he has directed episodes of Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds, notably including the crossover episode “Those Old Scientists.”

2) Brent Spiner as Data, Soong Variants, etc. (Picard, Lower Decks)

Brent Spiner reprised his role as Data in Star Trek: Picard. In Season 1, he appeared as a digital recreation of Data, saved within a quantum archive by Dr. Bruce Maddox. Picard communicated with this simulation in a virtual version of his study, and ultimately deactivated it as Data wished, allowing him to ‘die.’ Season 2 saw Spiner play Dr. Alton Inigo Soong, a descendant of Dr. Adam Soong, and his daughter Kore. He returned for Season 3 as Lore, B-4, and a re-merged Data, with Data’s personality becoming the dominant one. Spiner also provided the voice for different versions of Data in the animated series Lower Decks.

1) Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard (Picard)

As a huge Star Trek fan, I was thrilled to see Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard in the show Picard. The first season showed a retired Picard living a quiet life at his vineyard, but he quickly got pulled into a complex mystery involving artificial life and the Romulans – it was a real rollercoaster that even led to his ‘death’ and a transfer into a synthetic body! Season two took a fascinating turn with time travel, letting Picard finally deal with some long-buried feelings about his mother. Then, in season three, it was amazing to see him back with the old crew, facing off against a terrifying combination of the Changelings and the Borg. We even learned a shocking secret about his son, Jack, and how Picard’s past with the Borg had affected him. While Sir Patrick hasn’t appeared in other Trek shows lately, he was incredible in all 30 episodes of Picard, and he was deeply involved behind the scenes as an executive producer, really shaping how his character’s story ended. It was a fitting send-off for a legend.

What was your favorite episode when Star Trek: The Next Generation came back? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-15 00:16