Jean-Luc Picard is set to face down an old foe in the second season of his Star Trek spinoff.
As per Variety (opens in new tab), Annie Wersching will portray the Borg Queen, the head of the Borg first seen in Star Trek: First Contact. The character later returned in the Voyager series.
Trekkies may recall that the Borg Queen has perished – multiple times. But, much like The Master in Doctor Who, the villain always manages to find a way to return in a different form. Wersching will be the third actor to play the Borg matriarch.
Picard quietly set up the emergence of a new Borg Queen in its first season. Patrick Stewart’s captain encountered a “queencell”, a device that – along with a spatial trajector – could be used by the Borg Queen. First Contact footage was also used in the sixth episode, in case there was any doubt that Picard’s experiences with the Borg weigh heavy on his shoulders.
It’s not yet known whether the Borg Queen will be in Picard’s future or, indeed, his past. The recent Picard season 2 trailer goes heavy on time travel implications, while also revealing that iconic Star Trek villain Q (John de Lancie) would come face to face with his “capitane” once more.
De Lancie told TrekMovie (opens in new tab) that he’s going to be sticking around for six episodes (the first season ran for 10 episodes) and that the third season is also being filmed simultaneously alongside Picard season 2.
For more on Star Trek’s television slate, here’s the latest on Star Trek Discovery season 4.