Brent Spiner's Data Spinoff Idea Is The Perfect Next Star Trek Movie For Paramount+

Brent Spiner just pitched the perfect Data idea for a new Star Trek streaming movie. Since his introduction on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the android Lt. Commander Data has become one of Star Trek's most beloved characters. For seven seasons of TNG and four Star Trek feature films, Data served aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Data's journey to find his humanity was one of TNG's best ongoing storylines, and Brent Spiner's nuanced performance made Data eternally popular.

Although Data sacrificed himself to save Captain Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Picard season 1 revealed that his consciousness had survived. Data made a more significant return in Picard season 3, getting an upgraded android body that combined his consciousness with those of Lore (Brent Spiner), Lal (Hallie Todd), and Altan Soong (also Brent Spiner). This development opened the door for Data to return in future Star Trek projects, and Brent Spiner recently addressed his potential return to the character.

While speaking with ScreenRant about his appearance in Night Court season 3, Spiner proposed Star Trek: Data, adding that he's "always up for doing more," as long as "the writing is good and the ideas are good."

Data Is The Right Character To Build A Star Trek Streaming Movie Around

Brent Spiner's Data Is The Perfect Choice To Star In A Trek Film

Brent Spiner may have been mostly joking about Star Trek: Data, but Data truly is the perfect character to center a new movie around. Not only has Data always been a beloved character, but Star Trek: Picard introduced several new storylines for the newly-upgraded android. The Star Trek: The Next Generation films squandered the opportunity to earnestly explore Data's burgeoning humanity, instead turning to the emotion chip mostly for comedic relief. The Data introduced in Star Trek: Picard season 3 has more organic emotions and deserves the chance to explore his newfound humanity onscreen.

A Data streaming movie could bring back Soji Asha (Isa Briones), Data's android "daughter" who debuted in Star Trek: Picard season 1. Soji and her sister Dahj had been created by Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales) and Dr. Altan Soong using a single positronic neuron from Data's brain. Picard immediately recognized elements of his android friend in Dahj and Soji, before either of the twins even realized they were androids. Although Dahj was killed, Soji was last seen traveling throughout the Federation on a diplomatic tour to alter people's perceptions of androids after the devastating attack on Mars.

As the quintessential "good" android, Data could help foster goodwill toward synthetics, while perhaps helping Soji work through her own identity as an android. At the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Data visited Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) to discuss the many complications that come with his newfound humanity. A Data-centered streaming film could continue this exploration and even touch on Data's experiences with death and resurrection. Data has a new future ahead of him, and it would be interesting to see how he feels about that and what he plans to do with that future.

Even If A Data Movie Happens, Paramount Plus Should Still Make Star Trek: Legacy

A Data Movie Could Even Lead Into Star Trek: Legacy

Whether or not Star Trek ever makes a film centered on Data, Paramount+ should still make the proposed Star Trek: Picard spin-off, Star Trek: Legacy. Picard season 3 ended with Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in command of the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G, with Picard's son, Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speelers), as the special counselor to the captain. Despite this perfect set-up for a potential spin-off, Star Trek: Legacy has seen no forward momentum. Still, fans remain invested in the concept, and it's possible Legacy could still happen at some point in the future.

While a Star Trek: Legacy spin-off would hopefully feature the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast in some way, they were never intended to be the show's main focus. Data could certainly make an appearance in Legacy, but the show would not be his story. A Star Trek streaming movie would allow for a deeper exploration of Data's character and the ways he has grown since his time on TNG. I, for one, would love to see more of Data's story in any form, and I genuinely hope Paramount+ was listening when Brent Spiner pitched his idea for Star Trek's next streaming film.