Star Trek: Another Voyager Star Confirms Return to Franchise

Another Star Trek: Voyager star's return to the Star Trek universe is confirmed. Paramount+ announced today during Star Trek: Prodigy's New York Comic Con panel that Voyager star Robert Beltran will reprise his role as Chakotay in the upcoming kids-focused animated series. The announcement notes that Chakotay is now a Starfleet captain. That's a remarkable career for someone who previously defected from Starfleet to the Maquis only to wind up as Janeway's first officer when Voyager became stranded in the Delta quadrant. It's unclear what role Chakotay will play in Prodigy since the series is set in the Delta quadrant and focuses on non-Starfleet characters finding and taking command of an abandoned, experimental Starfleet vessel. Perhaps Chakotay was once commanding the USS Protostar?

Chakotay isn't the only Starfleet officer joining Star Trek: Prodigy. The panel also revealed new cast members, including Daveed Diggs as Commander Tysess, Jameela Jamil as Ensign Asencia, and Jason Alexander as Doctor Noum. Fans also got their first extended look at hologram Janeway in the series.

Beltran let the news of his involvement in Prodigy slip early while appearing at The 55-Year Mission convention in Las Vegas earlier this year. "I don't know if I'm supposed to say this or not yet," Beltran said. "I'm working on this voiceover/animation thing that Kate [Mulgrew] is doing, Star Trek: Prodigy."

At the time, it was unclear how Beltran would return or even whether he'd be playing Chakotay. Now Voyager fans know that Janeway's First Officer is back in action.

Star Trek: Prodigy will premiere on Thursday, October 28th, with a one-hour episode available exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States. The series will also stream on Paramount+ in international territories, including Latin America, the Nordics, and Australia.

In the one-hour series premiere, "Lost & Found," a group of lawless teens, exiled on a mining colony outside Federation space, discover a derelict Starfleet ship. Dal must gather an unlikely crew for their newfound ship if they are going to escape Tars Lamora, but the Diviner and his daughter Gwyn have other plans.

The Star Trek: Prodigy New York Comic Con panel included a conversation with series voice cast members Kate Mulgrew (Hologram Kathryn Janeway), Brett Gray (Dal), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman, director/co-executive producer Ben Hibon, and Ramsey Naito, President, Animation & Development, Paramount Animation, and Nickelodeon Animation. Dawnn Lewis moderated the panel, who voices Captain Carol Freeman on Paramount+'s Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Are you happy to hear that Chakotay is back in Star Trek: Prodigy? Let us know in the comments. Star Trek: Prodigy will debut on Paramount+ on October 28th.