Summary
News of an upcomingStar Trekorigin movie has led to concerns thatStar Trek: Enterprisecould be retconned or rebooted, but who would play Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and his history-making crew? Set a century before the events ofStar Trek: The Original Series,Enterpriseescaped the effects of J.J. Abrams' rebooted Kelvin Timeline. However, it’s been announced that anewStar Trekorigin movieis being developed that will depict the events leading up to the formation of Starfleet and the Federation. This storyline sounds dangerously close to stepping onEnterprise’s toes.
While it’s unlikely that 2025’sStar Trekorigin movie will be a reboot that recastsStar Trek: Enterprise’s characters, its success could lead Paramount to revisit the adventures of the Enterprise NX-01. From the Temporal Cold War to the Xindi Incident and the Terra Prime terrorist organization, there are no shortage ofEnterprisestory arcs that could be adapted for a movie. Although anEnterprisereboot movie remains hypothetical,the idea of a newStar Trekorigin movie does make one ponder who in today’s film and TV landscape could play Archer and the crew.
Don’t Worry, Star Trek’s New Origin Movie Isn’t A Threat To Canon
Fans are concerned that Star Trek’s new origin movie will retcon the events of First Contact and Enterprise, but there’s nothing to worry about.
8David Harbour as Shran
Originally played by Jeffrey Combs
Best known for playing Jim Hopper inNetflix’sStranger Things, David Harbour could be a great fit for Shran in aStar Trek: Enterprisemovie reboot. While it would be very difficult to replace belovedalien actor Jeffrey Combs, David Harbour has the dry wit and irascibility that made Shran such an enjoyable character. Having previously played Hellboy in the eponymous 2019 movie, David Harbour would cut a more imposing figure as a movie version of the Andorian, but at least he’d be no stranger to spending time in heavy creature make-up.
…like Jeffrey Combs' Shran inEnterprise, Harbour’s gruff persona inStranger Thingsbelies a heart of gold.
ReducingStar Trek: Enterprisedown to a movie may rob Shran of the bulk of his arc, meaning that his bond with Captain Archer may be formed after just one feature film. However, like Jeffrey Combs' Shran inEnterprise, Harbour’s gruff persona inStranger Thingsbelies a heart of gold. If David Harbour brought some of Hopper to the role of Shran, then the relationship between the Andorian and Captain Archer could be one of the standout dynamics in anEnterprisemovie reboot.
David Harbour’sStranger Thingsco-star is Winona Ryder, who played Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson, in the 2009Star Trekreboot movie.
7Greg Tarzan Davis as Ensign Travis Mayweather
Originally played by Anthony Montgomery
Up-and-coming actor Greg Tarzan Davis played Lt. Javy “Coyote” Machado in Tom Cruise’sTop Gun: Maverick, so piloting a starship is a logical progression. OnStar Trek: Enterprise, Travis was never properly developed as a character. He had an interesting backstory as he was a “space boomer”, someone who was born in space and spent most of their life there. As a result of this, Travis was an adept pilot, butEnterpriserarely called on him to do much more than that, or explore his background as a “space boomer”.
A script that fleshed out Travis' backstory and made him more of an integral member of the Enterprise NX-01’s crew could allow Greg Tarzan Davis to make the role his own.
While an undeveloped character like Travis Mayweather may not seem like an obvious draw for someone who’s worked with Tom Cruise, it could be a breakthrough role for Greg Tarzan Davis. A script that fleshed out Travis' backstory and made him more of an integral member of the Enterprise NX-01’s crew could allow Greg Tarzan Davis to make the role his own. Not only that, but casting aTop Gunpilot as a Starfleet officer in aStar Trek: Enterprisereboot movie would be good for the headlines.
Star Trek’s 8 Top Gun Starship Pilots Ranked
Star Trek has no lack of hotshot starship pilots who have flown the Starship Enterprise and other ships. Which helmsman is the best of the best?
6Ashley Park as Lieutenant Hoshi Sato
Originally played by Linda Park
Ashley Park’s riotous coming-of-age movieJoy Rideis a good demonstration of why she would be well cast as Lt. Hoshi Sato in aStar Trek: Enterprisereboot movie.Joy Ridewas a road movie that followed Park’s Audrey as she traveled to China to try and connect with her birth mother.Joy Rideis a classic fish-out-of-water story which brilliantly plays with notions of cultural misunderstandings and personal identity. Ashley Park’s role in it feels like solid training to play the Enterprise NX-01’s groundbreaking translator and communications officer.
Park’s charisma as a performer, and her ability to bring vulnerability to her outwardly confident characters makes her a good pick to play Hoshi Sato,Star Trek: Enterprise’s hyper-intelligent but insecure communications officer.
More recently,Ashley Park appeared opposite Meryl StreepinOnly Murders in the Buildingseason 3 as Kimber, a self-obsessed influencer and musical theater actress. What could have been an unlikeable role was lifted by the vulnerability that Park brought to the character. Park’s charisma as a performer, and her ability to bring vulnerability to her outwardly confident characters makes her a good pick to play Hoshi Sato,Star Trek: Enterprise’s hyper-intelligent but insecure communications officer.
A running gag inOnly Murders in the Buildingseason 3 reveals that Scott Bakula and Steve Martin’s character Charles Hayden Savage are Hollywood rivals.
5Zach Galifianakas as Doctor Phlox
Originally played by John Billingsley
Although he’s still best known forThe Hangovermovies, that isn’t why Zach Galifianakis would make a great Doctor Phlox.Star Trek: Enterprise’s Denobulan doctor was memorably played by John Billingsley, who brought a great deal of warmth to the character.Doctor Phlox’s specieswere one of the most fascinating and richly drawn alien races in all ofStar Trek. From their polyamorous mating habits to their ability to puff out their faces when threatened, the Denobulans were a uniquely alien species.
Galifianakis' background in fringe comedy, working with the likes of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, would lend itself nicely to some of Doctor Phlox’s more alien characteristics.
Zach Galifianakis' performances can occasionally be too arch, but his lovable dope routine inThe Hangovermovies and the Robert Downey Jr. road movieDue Dateprove he can bring warmth when required. On top of this, Galifianakis' background in fringe comedy, working with the likes of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, would lend itself nicely to some of Doctor Phlox’s more alien characteristics. John Billingsley proved that the role of Phlox needs an actor unafraid of looking silly, who also has exceptional comic timing, two things that Galifianakis has in spades.
Star Trek: Discovery Disappointingly Avoids Homeworld Of Enterprise’s Dr. Phlox
Star Trek: Discovery teases Enterprise fans with the prospect of a first-ever visit to Dr. Phlox’s homeworld, but disappointingly goes elsewhere.
4Josh O’Connor as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
Originally played by Dominic Keating
Fresh from his acclaimed performance as Patrick inChallengers, British actor Josh O’Connor would be great as Lt. Malcolm Reed in aStar Trek: Enterprisereboot. Malcolm was a repressed and secretive character throughoutEnterprise. O’Connor’s terrific portrayal of the young Prince Charles inThe Crowncalls to mind the picture of Reed’s stifling and strict family life inEnterprise, season 1, episode 12, “Silent Enemy”. An early role as a Russian submarine officer inDoctor Whoalso proved that O’Connor could convincingly portray a Starfleet tactical officer.
O’Connor’s performances in LGBTQ+ stories likeGod’s Own CountryandChallengerscould help tease out this unexplored aspect of Reed’s character inEnterprise.
Josh O’Connor’s breakthrough role was inGod’s Own Country, playing a Yorkshire sheep farmer who falls in love with a Romanian migrant worker. O’Connor brought a physicality and darkness to the role that would be fascinating when transplanted toStar Trek: Enterprise’s Malcolm Reed. DuringEnterprise, it was rumored that Reed would be the firstStar TrekLGBTQ+ character, but this never came to pass. O’Connor’s performances in LGBTQ+ stories likeGod’s Own CountryandChallengerscould help tease out this unexplored aspect of Reed’s character inEnterprise.
Guy Siner, who played Malcolm Reed’s father Stuart inStar Trek: Enterpriseappeared in two episodes ofThe Crownseason 4, in which Josh O’Connor played Prince Charles.
3Austin Butler as Commander Trip Tucker
Originally played by Connor Trinneer
Austin Butler’s most recent sci-fi role was the instantly memorable Feyd-Rautha inDune: Part Two, but Commander Trip Tucker is a more subdued proposition for the actor. Butler’s performance as Elvis Presley, andinability to shake the accent, may have earned him a reputation as a slightly kooky method actor, but he’s good at what he does. In bothElvisandThe Bikeriders, Butler eschews a strange kind of charisma that, with the right script and direction, could make him a terrific Trip Tucker in aStar Trek: Enterprisereboot.
From Manson family member in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodto brutal Harkonnen family member inDune: Part Two, Butler has excelled at playing charismatic villains but playing Trip would help him subvert audience expectations.
Trip Tucker was the most charismatic and instantly likeable character inStar Trek: Enterprise, meaning that Austin Butler would have a tall order to replicate Connor Trinneer’s winning performance. From Manson family member in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodto brutal Harkonnen family member inDune: Part Two, Butler has excelled at playing charismatic villains but playing Trip would help him subvert audience expectations. Austin Butler’s take onConnor Trinneer’s Trip Tuckerwould, therefore, be more akin to his charismatic hero role in Steven Spielberg’sMasters of the Air.
“He’s Mad, Angry, Sad”: Star Trek’s Connor Trinneer Felt “Very Lucky” To Play Trip On Enterprise
Looking back on his four seasons on Star Trek: Enterprise, Trip Tucker changed a lot and Connor Trinneer enjoyed playing his range of emotions.
2Alicia Vikander as Sub Commander T’Pol
Originally played by Jolene Blalock
Vulcans likeStar Trek: Enterprise’s Sub Commander T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) are often accused of being cold and unfeeling due to their emotional suppression.Alicia Vikander’s breakthrough role as Ava in Alex Garland’sEx Machinaproved that she’s more than capable of Vulcan levels of emotional detachment. The Vulcan Sub Commander is a hugely important character inEnterprise, not just because ofT’Pol’s romance with Trip, but because she was effectively Captain Archer’s supervisor, keeping a watchful eye on humanity’s first deep space exploration mission at the behest of the Vulcan High Command.
Alicia Vikander’s strong track record of playing determined women like the android Ava or Lara Croft makes her the perfect choice forEnterprise’s Vulcan crew member.
The equally frosty and fiery dynamic between Archer and T’Pol would make for great character conflict in aStar Trek: Enterprisemovie. It’s also possible that the screenwriters of anEnterpriseremake may decide that Archer and T’Pol’s dynamic would make a better will-they-won’t-they romance than Trip and T’Pol, pleasing the Archer/T’Pol shippers. Alicia Vikander’s strong track record of playing determined women like the android Ava or Lara Croft makes her the perfect choice forEnterprise’s Vulcan crew member.
In 2017, Alicia Vikander played Danielle in Wim Wenders’Submergence, which also starredStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Alexander Siddig.
1Jon Hamm as Captain Jonathan Archer
Originally played by Scott Bakula
Best known for playing Don Draper inMad Men, Jon Hamm is a multi-faceted performer who is just as adept at goofy comedy as he is at serious drama. That versatility makes Jon Hamm a perfect actor to playCaptain Jonathan ArcherinStar Trek: Enterprise, arguably the franchise’s most fascinating and flawed starship captain. It’s easy to see the Jon Hamm ofMad MenandFargodrawing out Archer’s anger at the Vulcans for supposedly crushing his father’s dreams and holding back humanity’s development. WhileTop Gun: Maverickproved that Hamm can play an excellent military authority figure.
Jon Hamm is exactly the sort of chiseled-jawed, charismatic, all-American that Scott Bakula’s Captain Archer was designed to be…
Jon Hamm’s comedy chops in shows like30 Rockand movies likeMean Girlsalso prove that he’s capable of being very funny while grounding goofiness in a sense of reality. That’s a vital skill to have as a lead actor in aStar Trekmovie or TV show. Finally, Jon Hamm is exactly the sort of chiseled-jawed, charismatic, all-American that Scott Bakula’s Captain Archer was designed to be, but his ability to tap into his darker side would make Jon Hamm a compelling lead for anyStar Trek: Enterprisereboot movie.
