I hope Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Celia Rose Gooding gets her wish for Ensign Nyota Uhura to meet Star Trek: Discovery's Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Star Trek: Discovery has concluded its fifth and final season, wrapping up the stories of Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery. Meanwhile, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in post-production for an expected 2025 premiere on Paramount+. Unless there's a big surprise, Strange New Worlds season 3 has no crossover with Burnham or Star Trek: Discovery, but could Burnham meet Uhura in Strange New Worlds season 4 or beyond?
Celia Rose Gooding inherited the role of a younger Uhura originated by Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has given Uhura more agency and character depth than TOS or J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies, where Zoe Saldana played Uhura. Strange New Worlds has delved into Uhura's tragic backstory, her relationships with the crew of the USS Enterprise, and proved how essential Uhura is to Strange New Worlds as the Communications Officer who keeps the crew "connected." However, Gooding hopes that Uhura can be further inspired by meeting another of Star Trek's most iconic African-American heroines.
Celia Rose Gooding Wants Uhura To Meet Burnham & I Hope It Happens
Meeting Burnham would be epic for Uhura
Appearing at Terrificon with her Star Trek: Strange New Worlds co-star, Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding said she has two big crossover hopes for Uhura: meeting her older self played by the late Nichelle Nichols, which Celia knows can't happen, and Uhura meeting Captain Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery. Gooding explained, "I think she would benefit from meeting Michael Burnham and seeing another black woman captain. I think that would be really good for her understanding of her place on the Enterprise." Check out Gooding and Peck at Terrificon in the video below:
I think Burnham meeting Uhura, as two of the most prominent African-American female characters in Star Trek on Paramount+, would be a historic and spectacular crossover. Of course, Uhura is the first prominent Black woman and character as a member of Star Trek: The Original Series' cast. Burnham follows in the footsteps of Nichelle Nichols as Uhura. But the shoe would be on the other foot in a crossover between Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Discovery. Burnham is the successful starship Captain who has saved the galaxy, and Uhura is gaining experience and wisdom day-by-day. The inspiration Uhura could gain from Captain Burnham can't be quantified, and would recontextualize Nichelle Nichols' Uhura going forward.
Can Captain Burnham Appear In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?
It would be Star Trek's trickiest crossover
As much as I'd like to see Uhura meet Captain Burnham on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a crossover would be very hard to pull off. While Sonequa Martin-Green is reportedly open to reprising Burnham, the logistics of how to bring Michael back to the 23rd century, or Uhura to the 32nd century, are daunting - but not impossible. A greater issue is how to preserve Star Trek canon. Burnham vanished 930 years into the future with the USS Discovery, never to return. Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) is never meant to see his foster sister again, making bringing Burnham aboard the USS Enterprise a dicey proposition.
Uhura meeting Burnham - and Celia Rose Gooding sharing the screen with Sonequa Martin-Green - would undoubtedly be cool.
Also, Uhura shouldn't know Captain Burnham exists at all, or that she is Spock's adopted sister. And yet, there are still a number of sci-fi ways for Uhura to meet Michael Burnham, like time travel, or a time crystal for Uhura to glimpse Burnham in the future (or vice versa). Uhura meeting Burnham - and Celia Rose Gooding sharing the screen with Sonequa Martin-Green - would undoubtedly be cool and a major Star Trek event. Whether it can happen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 or beyond is up in the air, but I co-sign Celia Rose Gooding's wish that Uhura meets Burnham and all the good things that could come from that Star Trek: Discovery crossover.
