You’ve got to respect this if nothing else: This dude knows how to live long and prosper.

Mister Spock, the most beloved icon of the Star Trek series, will make an appearance on the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Discovery. The news was revealed today as part of the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con:

Also revealed at the panel: The show is producing what they’re calling “Short Treks,” described as mini-episodes each about “10-15 minutes long that will star “Tilly, Saru & Harry Mudd.”

The question is: Who will play Spock? Obviously, the role is currently inhabited in the movie franchise by Zachary Quinto. Seems pretty unlikely to me that Quinto might show up on Star Trek: Discovery, unless Spock’s role is no more than a very brief cameo. But do you really want two Spocks out their simultaneously in the world? That could get confusing.

Then again the 2009 Star Trek had two Spocks onscreen at the same time. So I guess casting a new guy in the role would not even qualify as boldly going where no one had gone before. Discovery Season 2 will feature another new actor playing an old character: Anson Mount as Captain Pike, the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the original Star Trek pilot, who was recast in the actual series as Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner.

Star Trek: Discovery airs (“airs”) on CBS All Access; Season 2 is expected to debut early in 2019 with the shorts before that.

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