Scott Bakula Pitches Star Trek: Archer Spinoff Where a Starfleet Dad Juggles Four Adult Kids — Superman & Lois in Space
Enterprise alumni Mike Sussman and Scott Bakula quietly pitched Star Trek: United, a spinoff putting Jonathan Archer in the Federation’s top seat — and Sussman says at least one key detail was already locked, hinting the project came closer to reality than fans realized.
File this under: things I did not expect to type in 2025. Scott Bakula and longtime Star Trek: Enterprise writer Mike Sussman quietly cooked up a spin-off pitch that puts Bakula back in uniform (well, a suit) as President Jonathan Archer. The working title: Star Trek: United. And yes, it is exactly the kind of character-forward idea I wish Paramount greenlit yesterday.
The pitch: President Archer, four kids, and a family-first Trek
Per TrekMovie, Sussman and Bakula developed a series centered on Archer later in life, balancing the job of President of the United Federation of Planets with being a father of four. Sussman talked it through on the All Access Star Trek podcast and likened the tone to The CW's 'Superman & Lois' — not the invincible-hero-of-the-week version, but the family-centric one that earned Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch a lot of love.
The Archer angle is personal: Bakula has four kids in real life, and Sussman mirrored that on screen. The idea is that Archer's adult children grew up around diplomacy and service and followed suit in different corners of the Federation. He named three tracks specifically: one in the diplomatic corps, one in Starfleet, and one in Federation Intelligence. The fourth? Not revealed yet, which, honestly, is a fun card to hold for episode one.
'Archer would be in a place in his life where Scott kind of is right now... he's got four adult kids. And the story is as much about them as it is about him, because he lived this life of diplomacy and his family sort of grew up with this sense of service.'
Not Enterprise season 5 — by design
Sussman is clear: this is not a weekly Enterprise reunion. He wants the show to live with a younger ensemble — think early 20s to early 30s — with Archer as the anchor. Legacy faces could recur or even be regulars, but only if they actually matter to the plot. As he put it, no one is popping in just to say 'Right on Mr. President' and vanish.
- Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) — the centerpiece, now Federation President
- Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), T'Pol (Jolene Blalock)
- Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating), Hoshi Sato (Linda Park)
- Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery), Phlox (John Billingsley)
- Shran (Jeffrey Combs) — Sussman specifically wants him back, but as an integral player, not a cameo
Why it stalled, and why it might not be dead
An earlier version of the pitch reportedly got turned down because Paramount was already building a younger-leaning show in the same lane: 'Starfleet Academy,' which is set to arrive in January 2026. Sussman and Bakula then reworked their concept to carve out more distance from Academy. If United moves ahead now, it would need a thumbs-up from the new Skydance team overseeing Paramount. Corporate shuffle alert, basically.
The lore swing: finally showing the Romulan War
This part made my eyebrows jump. Sussman wants to open United with the thing Enterprise fans never got: a scene set in the thick of the Romulan War, essentially the season 7 moment we were denied when the show was canceled. He says that flashback would deliver a real plot pivot — not just fan service — by introducing a major character for the series.
He also teased a very nerdy continuity thread from The Original Series era: the secrecy around who the Romulans are and how that truth intersects with humans, Vulcans, and the early Federation. Why keep that identity under wraps, and who benefits? He has his own answers, and it sounds like United would explore them without breaking canon.
Where it stands
Sussman is honest that this is not a go series. He called it 'just a delightful little fantasy' for now, even as he stays hopeful with all the Trek movement at Paramount. If United ever lands, it sounds less like a nostalgia lap and more like 'The West Wing of Starfleet' with a family hook — which, frankly, is the kind of swing the franchise could use.
Star Trek: Enterprise is streaming on Paramount+ if you want a refresher on Archer before he runs the galaxy.