Star Trek fans react as ‘most despised character’ returns for spin-off series

Opinion on the classic character has changed in the last three decades

Star Trek fans are reacting to the return of the franchise’s most divisive character.

In recent year,s fans have been treated to several spin-offs, including Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, starring Sir Patrick Stewart. Now, Star Trek: Prodigy – an animated series created by Kevin and Dan Hageman – is whetting the appetite of Trekkies.

The series follows a group of young aliens in the 24th century who find the abandoned starship Protostar and learn about Starfleet, and the ninth episode of its second season, which was released on Paramount+ earlier this month, featured a surprise in the form of an unexpected cameo.

*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*

In the episode titled “The Devourer of All Things, Part 1”, Wesley Crusher (Stand by Me actor Wil Wheaton) returns.

Wheaton first appeared as the character in Star Trek: The Next Generation when he was 15, and returned in 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis.

Wesley faced criticism from Star Trek fans, with some branding his boy genius character, who was actively disliked byJean-Luc Picard, “the most despised character” in the franchise’s history.

Wheaton himself said of the negative response to his character: “When I was younger, people gave me such a hard time about Wesley Crusher, there was a time in my late teens and early twenties when I resented Star Trek.

“It felt so unfair that people who had never met me were so cruel and hateful toward me as a person because they didn’t like a character I played on a TV show, I wanted to put Star Trek behind me and forget that it was ever part of my life.”

Wesley Crusher, voiced by Wil Wheaton, in ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ (Paramount+)

However, reaction to the Starfleet officer-turned-Traveller has turned around in recent years, with many fans happy to see Wheaton show up in the second season of Star Trek: Picard – but this excitement was short-lived as Wheaton was not invited back for the show’s third and final season.

Fortunately, Trekkies did not have long to wait to see Wesley again: he plays an important role in a rescue mission depicted in animated spin-off Star Trek: Prodigy – and in one scene, is shown to visit his mother, fan favourite character Beverly (Gates McFadden).

Fans are celebrating his return – which is shocking long-time fans who are yet to realise the fandom now supports Wesley.

One fan wrote: ““We were all disappointed that Wesley Crusher wasn’t in #StarTrekPicard season 3 after he cameoed in season 2’s finale. Thank the Travelers #StarTrekProdigy had something way better in the works!

Another bemused viewer wrote: “Insane to say that Wesley Crusher in Prodigy had the best legacy character subplot than any of the other TNG characters did in Picard.”

Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (Paramount)

This was concurred by one Trekkie, who wrote on X/Twitter: “Imagine being told 10 years ago that the best new serialised season of Star Trek was going to be about Wesley Crusher helping a bunch of kids save Chakotay from being erased from the timeline