James McAvoy Pitched a STAR TREK Prequel That Would've Explored Picard's Mysterious Past
James McAvoy almost got the chance to play a young Jean-Luc Picard in a Star Trek prequel series, and the story he had in mind sounds like it could've been a pretty awesome addition to the franchise. Unfortunately, it never happened, which is a shame because this idea had some real potential.
During an appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, McAvoy revealed that he pitched a limited series called Mutiny on the Stargazer, which would've explored Picard's early years in Starfleet and uncovered a mystery surrounding how he became captain of the USS Stargazer.
"I've got a whole story about an early Picard, because all I really want to do in my career is play young versions of Patrick," McAvoy joked, referring to Patrick Stewart, who he previously played a younger version of as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class.
McAvoy described the project as a "one-off standalone season," and it sounds like the idea actually got some traction. "We nearly did it," he revealed.
Fo Star Trek fans, the Stargazer is an interesting part of Picard's history that the franchise has never fully explored. Before commanding the Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Picard served aboard the Stargazer and eventually became its captain after the ship's commanding officer was killed during an emergency.
We learned a little more about that period of his life in the Season 6 episode "Tapestry," but the circumstances surrounding the captain's death and Picard's sudden promotion were never fully explained.
That's exactly where McAvoy wanted to take his story. The actor said his proposed series would've revealed "what actually happened [on the Stargazer], and the secret [Picard has] been holding his entire career."
That's a pretty intriguing idea, especially considering how much we already know about Picard's life. Introducing a major secret from his earliest command could've added an interesting new dimension to the character, depending on how the story played out.
The Stargazer also played a significant role in the Season 1 episode "The Battle," which revisited Picard's encounter with a Ferengi vessel in the Maxia Zeta system. During that confrontation, Picard developed his famous Picard Maneuver, briefly jumping to warp speed to make his ship appear in two places at once.
The Stargazer was believed to have been destroyed during that battle, but the Ferengi recovered it. Years later, Bok, played by Frank Corsentino, used the ship as part of a revenge plot against Picard for killing his son.
There's plenty of history to work with here, and McAvoy would've been a great choice to explore it. The proposed series also would've offered something different from Star Trek: Picard, which brought Stewart back for three seasons on Paramount+ and ended with a reunion of the Next Generation crew.
Instead of revisiting Picard's later years, McAvoy's project would've shown us the experiences that helped shape the Starfleet legend.
Of course, revealing that Picard had been hiding some major secret throughout his career could've been controversial with fans, especially if it changed how we viewed his past. But with the right story, it could've worked.
It's a shame Mutiny on the Stargazer never made it into production. While McAvoy envisioned it as a limited series, I actually think this could've been awesome. A younger Picard, a dangerous mission aboard the Stargazer, a mysterious death, and a secret that follows him for decades? That's a solid foundation for a sci-fi adventure.
With McAvoy in the captain's chair, I thing fans would've absolutely watched this show. What do you think about the pitch?