Actress Melissa George took on a seemingly small role when joining the Star Trek: Discovery universe for Season 2, though within the overall scope of the franchise, her role as Vina could prove to be quite substantial. Vina's story as Pike's future lover on the planet Talos was already well-established in Star Trek: The Original Series, but it sounds like the character's tale could possibly be further expanded upon in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (or elsewhere) if she is ever able to reprise her role.
CinemaBlend recently spoke with Melissa George about her upcoming AppleTV+ drama, The Mosquito Coast, and our discussion about that streaming series inevitably led to her role in Star Trek: Discovery. I asked George whether or not any producers from the Star Trek world had contacted her about reprising her role as Vina for an upcoming series or anything like that, and she confirmed there were indeed discussions at one point. In her words:
There [were] talks earlier on for me to reprise the role, but I think it would probably be like more of a bigger role? And at this point, I’m not sure, which is pretty sad. But we’ll see where that goes.
Melissa George confirmed that further Star Trek conversations were had, and not only about simply returning as Vina but seemingly for a larger presence than what her brief appearance allowed in Star Trek: Discovery. While she could obviously return to that series in some capacity, it's not the most likely eventuality. Given the character's ties with Anson Mount's Cpt. Christopher Pike, my assumption is Vina's return would be best if it happened in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which is currently in production on Season 1. Giving Vina a larger role in that series would make sense, given Pike learned of his eventual fate and future with Vina through wielding a Klingon time crystal. So the canon is already in place, sort of.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the possibility of Melissa George returning to the Star Trek franchise is still very much up in the air, though it's not entirely clear why the initial conversations dissolved. Any number of reasons could be in play, from shifts in the creative team's narrative decisions to scheduling conflicts limited George's availability to jump back into her sci-fi role. As mentioned, the actress was promoting her upcoming Apple TV+ project The Mosquito Coast, which co-stars Justin Theroux and is set to premiere on Friday, April 30.
Though unsure whether or not she'll be able to return to Star Trek in some capacity, Melissa George spoke highly about her brief time working on the Star Trek: Discovery set. One element she specifically marveled over was the quality of the physical sets around her, as she'd assumed before joining the series that much of the Discovery sets and locations were digital creations.
I already was the one that did the remake of the original Vina, which was such an honor and great part to play I would say. I flew in just for 2-3 weeks that’s all I could do because I lived in Europe. It was an iconic experience for me. It was everything you could imagine and the sets just blew my mind. I was touching things thinking it would be fake or not real but the quality, the marble, the columns, and when we were shooting outside, the spaceship, walking on the rubble. I thought it would be special effects, but no! They brought in trucks with the rocks and all of that environment.
Melissa George had a great time on Star Trek: Discovery, and it seems like she'd be just as pumped to get a second chance to appear the franchise again. Whether it would happen in Strange New Worlds or elsewhere, I'm sure fans new and old would be eager to see where Vina's story could go from here. Keep your fngers crossed, or perhaps keep them outstretched into the Vulcan salute, all things considered.
Melissa George will star in The Mosquito Coast, which premieres on AppleTV+ Friday, April 30. Be sure to check that series out when it premieres, since it'll be a while before we see new seasons of Paramount+'s originals like Star Trek: Picard.
