New York Comic-Con could not go on as scheduled this year because of the coronavirus, but virtual panels are happening anyway over YouTube. And Star Trek’s panel included a pretty significant announcement: The return of one of the franchise’s most beloved captain in a new TV series.

Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway will be the star of Star Trek: Prodigy, the Trek animated children’s series that’s in development for Nickelodeon. In her part of the panel, Mulgrew said that while she was initially reluctant about reprising the role of Janeway “even as I was talking to [producer Alex] Kurtzman on the phone, long-dormant longings to restore her started to stir.” She added:

I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.

According to a press releaseProdigy “follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation.” It will be interesting to see how Janeway fits into that series. Mulgrew previously played the character for seven seasons on the syndicated Star Trek: Voyager series.

The CG-animated Star Trek: Prodigy is expected to debut on Nickelodeon in 2021. Watch Mulgrew’s announcement from the virtual NYCC panel below:

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