Star Trek's Brent Spiner Says He Will Never Play Data Again

The first season of Star Trek: Picard has reached its end. If you haven't watched the finale, note that there are SPOILERS ahead.

Along with shocking twists and reveals, the season finale featured the appearance of a fan-favorite Star Trek character. Brent Spiner plays the role once again, though the dead android was seen in a simulation with Jean-Luc. Picard was revealed to have taken a new synthetic body in this episode, but Data asked to die. The pair bid each other farewell, when Picard woke up, he disconnected the machine that was keeping Data alive; giving a proper sendoff to the beloved character.

It looks like this is the end of Data after all, with Spiner's comments in a recent interview with TV Guide hinting that he'll never play the character again. "I mean, there was just a finite amount of time that I can actually play Data, no matter what anyone says," he shared. "So many people were like, ‘Oh, you can do it. You're not too old,' and then I do it and they go, ‘You're too old. Why'd you do it?'"

"I think we did it in such brief sequences that it was fine to do it, and I felt good about it," the actor added. "But I wouldn't really entertain the idea of doing it again because I just don't think it would be realistic."

Spiner says it "seemed right" that Data had a more "gentler" sendoff this time. "And it seemed right to me in the context of the entire season of Picard and what Picard himself had been experiencing because of the loss of Data," he explained. "I think it allows him to feel okay about it too. So it seemed like the right thing to do."

Though it's unlikely that he'll return as Data again, Spiner points out that he appreciates the fans who loved the character and has supported him over the years. He admits that he didn't realize how personal Data's death in Nemesis was for the viewers. "I appreciate that, and I appreciate them continuing on the Star Trek ride that's being offered to them now," he added.

Spiner played the role of Alton Soong on Picard as well, and he says that he would love to return as that character.

Star Trek: Picard is now streaming for free on CBS Access for a limited time only.

Also Read: Star Trek: Picard's Patrick Stewart was Surprised by Finale [SPOILER] Scene