Though the series would eventually feature quite a few legacy characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard star Patrick Stewart was originally against having the whole crew return in the newer show.
What made Patrick Stewart change his mind about having TNG cast on Star Trek: Picard?
On The 7th Rule podcast, showrunner Terry Matalas stated that he wanted to bring back the original cast members from TNG when he came to Star Trek: Picard in Season 2. Despite those hopes, Stewart and the rest of the crew were apparently against the idea at first.
“They said, ‘No, we’re never going to do that.’ But along the way, I think Patrick warmed up to the idea,” Matalas stated. “The more his friends came back to the show, Jonathan [and] Marina came back, de Lancie came back, and Whoopi came back … Those days on set were so warm and so happy for him, that he started to say by the end, ‘We’ve got to have everybody.’”
Check out the podcast below:
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 began airing on February 16, 2023, while the finale debuted on April 20. It stars Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, and Ed Speleers. Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas executive produced the series in addition to serving as showrunners. Executive producers are Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, and Doug Aarniokoski.
Picard Seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Paramount+.