Michelle Yeoh was an instant fan favorite in her too-brief role as Captain Phillipa Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery. But now there are rumors swirling that she might be heading back to the franchise in her own stand-alone CBS show.
Since the success of season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery, CBS has given the go-ahead for a second season and are considering a whole stable of Trek shows including a reprisal of Sir Patrick Stewart in the role of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s beloved Captain Picard. Now news out of Deadline claims that actress Michelle Yeoh is also in talks to reprise her role in a Star Trek spin-off series.
After a shocking pilot episode in which her character was killed off, Yeoh did return to Star Trek: Discovery at the end of the season. But instead of the good Captain Georgiou she played an evil counterpart from the mirror universe, Emperor Georgiou. Fans of the show loved the campy evil mirror universe and the chance for Yeoh to flex her considerable acting muscles.
Now, the word is that Yeoh’s potential series will focus on Georgiou being recruited into Section 31, a secretive organization with Starfleet which protects the interests of the Federation in clandestine and often unapproved ways. Section 31 was first introduced into Trek canon in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in a plot which took a more critical look at the Federation as an entity for peace and goodwill in the galaxy. Some fans were unhappy with the darker direction and argued that it went against the primary principles of Star Trek as a franchise, but most came to appreciate the nuance of morally grey actions in an intergalactic setting.
In its first season, Star Trek: Discovery grappled with themes of warfare, first strikes, and secrecy, and had a notably darker tone compared to earlier Trek shows with its focus on war as opposed to exploration. This has provided a natural setup for a show focusing on Georgiou and her morally grey actions, to complement the Picard show and animated comedy Star Trek: Below Decks which have already been announced by CBS.
Yeoh has a long and respected career, but has garnered particular international attention for her recent role in Crazy Rich Asians, for which she is currently working on a sequel. The challenge for CBS now may be to find time in Yeoh’s schedule to make the Georgiou show that they want.
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