James McAvoy revealed he pitched a Picard Star Trek show that would have seen him yet again star as a young Patrick Stewart.
The Split and X-Men actor opened up about his love for Stewart’s time in the Star Trek universe during a conversation on Happy, Sad, Confused. He said it’s something those overseeing the sci-fi franchise “nearly did,” and although it never came to be, it’s still an idea he’s excited about to this day.
Instead of stemming directly from his love for Star Trek or even Stewart’s Next Generation captain, Jean-Luc Picard, it sounds like McAvoy’s idea for a limited series also came from his connection to Stewart himself.
“Mutiny on the Stargazer: That was a whole idea I had that I pitched the Star Trek people, as well. Nearly did it,” the actor teased. When pressed for an explanation, he said, “I’ve got a whole story about an early Picard. I mean, all I really want to do in my career is play young versions of Patrick.”
That, of course, is a reference to McAvoy’s time spent playing Charles Xavier in films like X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. It’s a character made famous in the movie world by Stewart’s aged-up portrayal in the original 2000s X-Men trilogy, and considering most seem to think McAvoy nailed the part in his follow-ups, a part as a young Picard could definitely make sense, too.
Alas, the Picard prequel never took off. The actor explained that he developed a whole story for what would have been a one-off season of TV that he still loves to this day, but for now, at least, his time as a young Stewart will be limited to the Marvel universe.
@happysadconfused #JamesMcAvoy shares details on the #STARTREK ♬ original sound – joshuahorowitz
“It was like a one-off standalone season when he took over as captain of the Stargazer, and what actually happened and the secret he’s been holding his entire career,” McAvoy said. “I just pitched it to them, talking to them, and they were well into it, but we had logistical issues, and we couldn’t do it. But I love that story. I just go to bed and think about it at night.”
Star Trek fans have already seen plenty from the life of Jean-Luc Picard. The character was first introduced as the captain of the USS Enterprise when he was played by Stewart in The Next Generation, but you don’t have to be a die-hard fan of the franchise to know he’s one of its most important characters. Despite this, the parts of his story we do know are mostly from later in his career, with his debut show – as well as projects like First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis – fleshing out the timeline further. The more focused follow-up series, Star Trek: Picard, premiered in 2020 and finished in 2023.
While McAvoy’s story for a younger version of the character remains on the cutting room floor, you can check out what Stewart had to say about his hopes for a new movie. You can also read IGN’s Picard Season 3 9/10 review.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
