Star Trek: Section 31 Confirmed to Feature Major Next Generation Character

At least one more familiar face has joined the cast of Star Trek: Section 31. Rachel Garrett, a Starfleet captain who appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation (played by Tricia O'Neil), will be involved in the story of Section 31. Given the film exists in the Star Trek  timeline years before The Next Generation, a younger version of the character will be played by Kacey Rohl.

"It was always my goal to deliver an entertaining experience that is true to the universe but appeals to newcomers," Section 31 screenwriter Craig Sweeny said in an extensive new profile by Variety. "I wanted a low barrier of entry so that anybody could enjoy it."

According to the filmmakers behind the show, they wanted to bring back some characters longtime fans of the show already know. If newer fans don't know them, however, they won't be missing out on anything major.

"You cannot create new fans to the exclusion of old fans," Star Trek franchise boss Alex Kurtzman added. "You must serve your primary fan base first and you must keep them happy. That is one of the most important steps to building new fans."

Elsewhere in the profile, Sweeny added that Section 31 is a bit darker than previous Star Trek releases, something that should create balance between the franchise's previous releases.

"Famously, there's a spot for everybody in Roddenberry's utopia, so I was like, 'Well, who would be the people who don't quite fit in?'" Sweeney said. "I didn't want to make the John le Carré version, where you're in the headquarters and it's backbiting and shades of gray. I wanted to do the people who were at the edges, out in the field. These are not people who necessarily work together the way you would see on a 'Star Trek' bridge."

Olatunde Osunsanmi is directing Star Trek: Section 31 from a screenplay by Craig Sweeny. Kurtzman, Sweeny, Aaron Baiers, Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Yeoh are executive producers. CBS Studios, in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, is producing Star Trek: Section 31.

Star Trek: Section 31 will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and in all international markets where the service is available.