It’s yet to be seen what’s next for the Star Trek universe, but Spiner says he’s game to come back as a newly-embodied Data, provided Trek producers present him with a worthy script. Speaking to ScreenRant for his appearance on Night Court, season 3, episode 13, Spiner addressed his Trek future, revealing that he’s always ready to play Data again:
I'm always available if the writing is good and the ideas are good. I mean, I have this one idea. I don't know if it's any good or not, but it's just a title, and the title is Star Trek: Data. I don't know. How does that sound to you? (Laughs) Yeah, I'm always up for doing more.
Spiner then talked about Picard season 3’s emotional full-on TNG reunion, and how it felt to be back among his old co-stars again:
I thought that they captured something really wonderful in the third season. Terry Matalas brought us all back, and I felt like everybody was pretty much at the top of their game. It was a wonderful achievement on Terry's part because I was dubious, myself... But it worked!
What Spiner’s Remarks Mean For Star Trek
He Previously Indicated He Was Done Playing Data
I mean, there was just a finite amount of time that I can actually play Data, no matter what anyone says. So many people were like, "Oh, you can do it. You're not too old," and then I do it and they go, "You're too old. Why'd you do it?" I think we did it in such brief sequences that it was fine to do it, and I felt good about it. But I wouldn't really entertain the idea of doing it again because I just don't think it would be realistic.
Getting old may not be a reality for androids, but it is for humans. An aging Spiner’s concerns about plausibly playing a non-aging character were seemingly put to rest, however, as Picard season 3 explained that Data's new body was created to mimic the process of becoming older.
Spiner has appeared in 194 Star Trek universe episodes, playing seven different characters.
The famous “tech the tech” approach may have put to rest questions about how and why an android might look older, but Spiner still seems on-the-fence about coming back. The “only if the script is good” caveat is indeed a familiar one. Spiner is joking around when he suggests a full Data spinoff, but it’s very possible that such a thing has been considered.
Our Take On Spiner’s Possible Star Trek Return
What Else Is There To Do With Data?
Data is one of the few Star Trek: TNG characters complex and interesting enough to warrant being the main focus of a spinoff. A possible story for such a spinoff might see the character, who has always longed to be fully human, striving toward that goal, meeting many an obstacle along the way. Seeing Data achieve full humanity would give the character a fitting end, especially compared to the conclusion he was given by the maligned Star Trek: Nemesis.
Even if Data doesn't get a spinoff return, the character was at least allowed to go out on a good note, along with the rest of the TNG crew. Data may not have a Star Trek future, but if someone comes up with the right story, that state of affairs could be reversed, given Spiner's expressions of interest.
