Summary

  • Star Trek legend Walter Koenig made a voice cameo as President Chekov in the finale of Star Trek: Picard season 3.
  • Showrunner Terry Matalas explains that Koenig's cameo was voice-only due to time constraints and the magnitude of the finale.
  • Matalas expresses his excitement and satisfaction with Koenig's involvement, as it adds a touch of Original Series DNA to make it feel like Star Trek.

Star Trek icon Walter Koenig made a cameo in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, and showrunner Terry Matalas explains why Koenig didn't appear on camera as President Anton Chekov. Koenig's voiceover as the President of the United Federation of Planets opens "The Last Generation," the final episode of Picard season 3, as Chekov warns the Federation that the Borg assimilated Starfleet but reminds all listening that "Hope is never lost... There are always possibilities..."

Terry Matalas was a guest on The 7th Rule podcast for a fascinating retrospective on Star Trek: Picard season 3, and he told hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk why Walter Koenig's cameo as President Anton Chekov was voice only. Read Matalas' quote and watch The 7th Rule video at the 37:24 time stamp below:

How awesome was that? I’ll tell you, from a fan perspective, to write and direct the finale of that magnitude, and then to have him be part of it… I wish it was on camera… We ran out of time… I couldn’t even dare try it with the schedule of that finale, but even audio is satisfying. Because it’s kind of like, “Is it not? Oh my God, it is!” It’s that feeling. I’m just thrilled that he did it for us, and we were able to get some Original Series DNA at the end there. It makes it feel like Star Trek.

Walter Koenig's Picard Season 3 Cameo Gave Chekov Back To Star Trek

Anton Yelchin and Walter Koenig as Star Trek's Chekov

Along with being a great surprise to hear Walter Koenig's voice as President Chekov in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, his cameo also gave Chekov back to Star Trek. Koenig's last on-screen appearance as Star Trek: The Original Series was in 1994's Star Trek Generations. Anton Yelchin then took over the role and played the young Chekov of the alternate Kelvin Timeline in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. Yelchin ed away in a tragic accident in 2016, and since then, no one has played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek.

Walter Koenig voicing President Anton Chekov in Star Trek: Picard season 3 bridges both versions of Chekov and honors the late Anton Yelchin. President Chekov quoting "my father" indicates he is the son of Pavel Chekov, and it's fitting that the Chekov family legacy now oversees the entire Federation. On The 7th Rule, Terry Matalas also talked about how Walter Koenig came over to Todd Stashwick's house, and Matalas, Stashwick, and Koenig watched Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale together, which made Walter Koenig's cameo appearance even more special.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: The 7th Rule