David Cronenberg Returning for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4
Famous horror director David Cronenberg will be back for the already-ordered season 4 of Star Trek Discovery. CBS All Access' (soon to be rebranded as Paramount+) first Star Trek series premiered in 2017 and introduced fans to the next generation (no pun intended) of Trek shows. Discovery centers on a brand new crew, with Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham acting as the lead. Though some fans dinged Discovery for its action-minded approach, the series has redeemed itself through the inclusion of iconic Star Trek characters and its third season twist, which has launched the Discovery crew into the 32nd century.
Upon arriving a good 900-plus years into the future, the Discovery crew found themselves grappling with the surprising revelation that the Federation and Starfleet are in shambles following an event known as the Burn. Beyond that, Discovery season 3 has seen the arrival of new characters, such as Cronenberg's shady Section 31 agent Kovich. So far, Kovich has taken special interest in Mirror Universe inhabitant Emperor Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). His strange fascination with her was on display during an interview in episode 5, wherein he shared some devastating news about her home.
Discovery fans have been both befuddled and thrilled by Cronenberg's presence on the show, and it turns out they shouldn't expect him to go away any time soon. In a new interview with Variety, it was revealed the actor-director will not only appear in more season 3 episodes, but he'll also have a part in Discovery season 4. In regards to Kovich's mysterious motivations, Cronenberg said, "He is an interrogator who’s also kind of an academic historian. He plays his cards pretty close to his vest, as does the Emperor. And as he tries to pry open some secrets from her, she actually is doing the same to him."
By keeping Kovich around for the upcoming season 4, it's clear Discovery has much bigger plans for him ahead. So far, Cronenberg has only appeared in two episodes of Discovery, but as the season nears its end, there could be a more substantial role for him to set up what's to come in season 4. Production on Discovery season 4 began in early November, which means it could premiere in late 2021. It remains to be seen how prominent Cronenberg will be in the upcoming episodes.
Additionally, his ties to Section 31 makes one wonder if he could have a hand in the upcoming spin-off set to focus on Starfleet's black ops arm. Yeoh is slated to lead that series, but aside from that, very little is known about the project. Fans have parsed Georgiou's recent interactions for clues as to what Section 31 could be about or when it could take place, yet at this point, anything could happen. Perhaps Kovich holds the key to this Discovery spin-off. Fans will just have to keep watching to find out.
Source: Variety