Scream Proves Jack Quaid Should Play A Star Trek Villain

Jack Quaid's malevolent performance in Scream (2022) proves he has the chops to play a great Star Trek villain. Quaid winds down his fan-favorite five-season run as Lieutenant Bradward Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Similarly, Jack will also soon wrap his tenure as Hughie Campbell on The Boys, which enters its fifth and final season on Prime Video. With two of his most popular heroic characters in his rearview mirror, Jack Quaid should stay in Star Trek, but this time, as a dastardly villain.

The son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Jack Quaid's first film role was as a murderous heel. Jack played Marvel in 2012's The Hunger Games opposite Jennifer Lawrence's breakout performance as Katniss Everdeen. One of the evil Tributes from District 1 in the 74th Hunger Games, Marvel will always live in infamy as the person who killed Rue (Amandla Stenberg). It was a memorable big-screen debut for the young Quaid, and while Jack has played many heroes since, he has a villainous streak that could benefit Star Trek.

Jack Quaid’s Scream Killer Role Proves He Should Play A Star Trek Villain

Jack Can Play Scary

A decade after The Hunger Games, Jack Quaid returned to the big screen by joining the cast of 2022's Scream. Jack played Richie Kirsh, who was, on the surface, the supportive boyfriend of Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). But Richie's good guy persona was a ruse because he was slashing Sam's friends - and trying to murder Sam herself - as the Ghostface killer. Richie was secretly in cahoots with Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison), who was the other killer alternating with Richie as Ghostface. Thanks to Jack, Richie ranks among the scariest and best villains to wear Scream's Ghostface mask and hood.

Scream VI revealed that Richie was a Ghostface fanboy who knew everything about the legacy of Woodsboro's murders. Jack cameoed as Richie in Scream VI as his twisted family seeks revenge on Sam and her sister, Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega). Quaid made for a truly diabolical killer, and Jack was so impactful as Richie that his specter was enough to drive Scream VI's Ghostface conspiracy. Scream (and his role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer) cemented Jack Quaid as a movie star, who, in turn, shines that same star power in Star Trek: Lower Decks, The Boys, and his other roles.

Jack Quaid Plays Great Movie & TV Heroes

Besides Boimler, Jack Is Also Superman

Most of Jack Quaid's movie and TV career has been defined by the heroes he plays. As one of The Boys, Hughie Campbell is forced to operate in some morally gray areas, but his inner core is heroic, and Hughie genuinely strives to do the right thing. Hughie's good guy nature even finally rubbed off on A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), helping to turn the speedster against Homelander (Antony Starr) at the end of The Boys season 4. Of course, Jack also plays the most noble superhero of all as he voices the Man of Steel in My Adventures With Superman.

As Star Trek: Lower Decks' Lt. Bradward Boimler (and his transporter clone, Captain William Boimler), Jack Quaid embodies one of the most exemplary rising Starfleet Officers in modern Star Trek. What Brad Boimler lacks in confidence, he makes up for in his dedication to Starfleet, vast knowledge of trivia, and desire to one day become a great starship Captain. Jack brilliantly brought Boimler to live-action in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' acclaimed crossover, even performing his animated character's hilarious body language as the flesh-and-blood Bradward. But what's the final frontier for Jack Quaid in Star Trek? Villainy.

How Jack Quaid Could Become A Star Trek Villain

In Live-Action, Of Course

While it will be sad to see Jack Quaid wrap up his iconic run as Lt. Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks, it would be wise of Star Trek to bring Jack back and benefit from his star power another way. Jack could be a fantastic villain, perhaps in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. While Quaid is recognizable as Boimler in Star Trek canon, Starfleet Academy could encase Jack in prosthetics to play an alien villain. Quaid could follow Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti as Starfleet Academy's next big bad, or play the heavy if Star Trek: Section 31 gets a sequel.

Another exciting possibility is for Jack Quaid to return to the big screen to play the villain in the J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek 4 if that sequel happens, or in director Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin prequel. Since Star Trek 4 is set in the alternate Kelvin Timeline, Jack wouldn't need to wear prosthetics since his resemblance to Lt. Brad Boimnler in Star Trek's Prime Universe wouldn't be an issue. Star Trek scored a coup by casting Jack Quaid in Star Trek: Lower Decks, and, with his profile now higher than ever, Jack Quaid breaking bad and playing a Star Trek villain is the logical next step.