Star Trek: Discovery’s series creator, Bryan Fuller, reveals how different his original vision was from the series that eventually happened. In early 2016, Fuller was named as the executive producer of the firstStar TrekTV series sinceStar Trek: Enterprisewas canceledin 2005.Discoverywas also the firstStar Trekseriesmade for streaming as one of the flagship shows for CBS All-Access before it was rebranded into Paramount+.
However, by the end of 2016, Bryan Fuller leftStar Trek: Discoverydue to"creative differences.“Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts took over asStar Trek: Discoveryseason 1’s showrunners (although they were also replaced at the end of the season), with Alex Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout production company executive producing allStar Trekprojects on Paramount+.Controversial since its inception,Star Trek: Discoveryproved to be a success, running for 5 seasons and spawning multiple Star Trek on Paramount+ series and even aStar Trekstreaming movie.
Bryan Fuller was a guest onThe D-Con Chamberpodcast hosted byStar Trek: Enterprise’s Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating. In a wide-ranging discussion about his celebrated writing career as a writer onStar Trek: Deep Space NineandStar Trek: Voyager, as well as creating the hit TV seriesPushing DaisesandHannibal,Fuller dropped some bombshells about his original vision forStar Trek: Discovery. Initially planned as an anthology series with season 1 telling a self-contained story,Star Trek: Discoveryradically evolved in multiple ways.
CBS Studios “Didn’t Want To Wait” For Sonequa Martin-Green
Bryan Fuller toldThe D-Con Chamberthat he cast Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou inStar Trek: Discovery (Yeoh went on to play theMirror Universe’s Emperor Georgiou), but CBS Studios resisted his choice of Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham,Star Trek: Discovery’s series lead:“I was fighting for Sonequa. They didn’t want to wait for Sonequa, and I was like, ‘Push the production. She’s great.’”
Star Trek: Discovery’s Burnham Switch Was A Bigger Risk Than The TOS Retcons Or The 900-Year Time Jump
Star Trek: Discovery may be notable for its original series retcons and 900-year time jump, but the show’s biggest risk was Burnham all along.
Martin-Green would eventually be cast as Michael Burnham, who was originally a disgraced former First Officer fighting for redemption. ByStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5’s ending, Burnham was Captain of the USS Discovery and an intergalactic hero who saved the United Federation of Planets in two different centuries.Martin-Green is also a powerhouse actor who was one ofStar Trek: Discovery’s greatest assetsas series lead and producer.
Rapp Became Star Trek: Discovery’s Creator Of The Spore Drive
Anthony Rapp played Lieutenant Paul Stamets inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 1, but Bryan Fuller revealed toThe D-Con Chamberthat Rapp was originally cast as an Andorian doctor. Andorians are blue-skinned aliens known for their antennae. InStar Trek: Discovery,Stamets was an astromycologistand one of the creators of theUSS Discovery’s displacement-activated spore hub drive.
Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz both starred inRenton Broadway.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldswould eventually create an Andorian Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Hemmer (Bruce Horak), who was a blind Aenar, a subspecies of the Andorians. Perhaps the most famous Andorian character was Shran, played by Jeffrey Combs, inStar Trek: Enterprise.
Wilson Cruz Was Originally Going To Play Lt. Paul Stamets
Cruz Played Dr. Hugh Culber On Star Trek: Discovery
Wilson Cruz played Doctor Hugh Culber onStar Trek: Discovery,but according to Bryan Fuller, Cruz auditioned to play Lt. Paul Stamets.Culber and Stamets would eventually become the first gay married couple inStar Trek.Culber was also one of the most vitalStar Trek: Discoverycharactersas the USS Discovery’s physician and ship’s counselor. When Cruz initially expressed interest inStar Trek, Fuller told Wilson he would"look awesome in a Starfleet uniform.”
Richard Armitage Was In Talks To Play Sarek
James Frain Played Spock’s Father, Sarek, In Star Trek: Discovery
Perhaps best known for playing Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’sThe Hobbittrilogy, Richard Armitage was in talks to play Sarek, according to Bryan Fuller.Armitage played the villainous Francis Dolarhyde on Fuller’sHannibal.The role of Ambassador Sarek went to another British actor, James Frain, who portrayed Spock’s Vulcan father - and theadoptive stepfather of Michael Burnham- inStar Trek: Discoveryseasons 1 and 2.
Gillian Anderson Was Going To Play A Starfleet Captain
Anderson Is Best Known As Agent Dana Scully On The X-Files
Bryan Fuller revealed toThe D-Con Chamberthat Gillian Anderson was going to play"a Starfleet Captain"inStar Trek: Discovery,although he didn’t offer any more character details. Best known as Agent Dana Scully onThe X-Files,Anderson played Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) therapist onHannibal.Anderson went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher inThe Crownseason 4.
Dancy Starred in Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal On NBC
Hugh Dancy portrayed the lead role of criminal profiler Will Graham in Bryan Fuller’sHannibal.Fuller says Dancy was also considered for an unknown role inStar Trek: Discovery.Dancy currently plays Senior Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price in NBC’sLaw & Orderrevival.
Laurence Fishburne Was Eyed To Play A Klingon
Fishburne Would Have Been One Of Many Star Trek Casting Coups
The finalHannibalcast member Bryan Fuller name dropped is Laurence Fishburne, who was to play aKlingon inStar Trek: Discovery. It’s unknown if Fishburne would have played T’Kuvma, the Klingon Messiah, or if he was a different Klingon in Bryan Fuller’s originalStar Trek: Discoveryvision.Fishburne played FBI Special Agent Jack Crawford inHannibal. With a legendary acting career, Fishburne may be best known as Morpheus inThe Matrixtrilogy.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Starfleet Uniforms & Klingons Were The Opposite Of What Bryan Fuller Wanted
Discovery’s Klingon Designs Were Controversial
Star Trek: Discovery’s distinctive blue Starfleet uniforms and seasons 1 and 2, andDiscovery’s controversial Klingondesigns, were the opposite of Bryan Fuller’s original vision. Fuller toldThe D-Con Chamber,“My last week there, I had approved the Starfleet uniforms, which they tossed out. And I had rejected the Klingons, which they kept.“Fuller says he has his original Klingon concept designs.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Klingons made a cameo comeback inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5’s finale.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Starfleet uniformswould eventually change to colorful tunics in season 4, while the Klingons were not seen again in live-action afterStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2.Discovery’s Klingons endure as a source of fan ire for radically reinventing the warrior alien race, making them unrecognizable from how they appeared inStar Trek: The Next Generation.Apparently, Bryan Fuller is also not a fan ofStar Trek: Discovery’s Klingons.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Original Budget Was Too Low
Bryan Fuller Compared Discovery’s Original Budget To Hawaii Five-0
Bryan Fuller also toldThe D-Con Chamberthat the budget CBS Studios originally assigned toStar Trek: Discoverywas too low. Fuller comparedDiscovery’s original budget to CBS’sHawaii Five-Oreboot, citing that aStar Trekproduction can’t simply"go to Target and get your clothes.“Fuller explained that with aStar Trekseries,“We’re doing something where everything has to be designed.“Bryan Fuller’s hints toThe D-Con Chambercertainly paint a fascinating picture of what his original vision ofStar Trek: Discoverymight have been like.
