Rhys Darby thinks he has found his next major franchise role
Rhys Darby has already played a powerful, mischievous alien in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Now the actor believes that experience makes him a natural fit for another famous franchise: James Bond.
Darby appears in season 3 as Trelane, a young alien with godlike abilities. The character first appeared in the 1967 Star Trek episode “The Squire of Gothos”, where William Campbell played him as a childlike figure who treated the Enterprise crew like toys until his parents arrived.
Season 3’s “Wedding Bell Blues” revisited that idea. Trelane arranged a fairytale wedding for Spock, played by Ethan Peck, and Christine Chapel, played by Jess Bush. The situation changed when Trelane’s father appeared as an orb of light voiced by John de Lancie, the actor best known for playing the near-omnipotent Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Trelane returns with a more thoughtful plan
Trelane comes back in season 4 in “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass”. This time, his interference is tied to a school assignment about the idea that space adventures leave humans little opportunity to deal with their inner struggles.
To test that theory, Trelane traps the Enterprise crew inside a soap opera. He changes the lighting and music and pushes the characters towards exaggerated versions of their personal problems.
Darby describes this version of Trelane as less mischievous and more mature. The character is completing an educational exercise, speaks with Captain Pike about humanity and still views people as tiny “ants”, albeit ants with amusing brains and emotions that can either help or hinder them.
The episode also includes a visual connection to Q. Trelane’s exam proctor wears a version of the robes Q used in “Encounter at Farpoint”, the first Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, and thanks Trelane for bringing the “ants” to the attention of the Q Continuum.
That moment recasts Q’s dealings with Captain Picard as something closer to a teacher assessing whether humanity is ready to progress, rather than simply a judge putting the species on trial. Darby, however, leaves detailed canon interpretation to the fans.
Darby’s James Bond idea is simple: make him Q
When asked which other major franchises appeal to him, Darby pointed to the Marvel universe and the returning James Bond series. His preferred role is obvious: Q, Bond’s quartermaster and provider of specialised equipment.
“James Bond’s coming back so I think I’d make a good Q. I’m already a Q. It’s meant to be.”
For fans who enjoy fictional gadgets and inventive hardware, the idea also has an obvious arcade connection. A Bond-themed setup could sit neatly alongside full-size arcade machines, while a smaller spy-inspired project may suit one of RETROCADE’s compact bartop arcades.
What is happening with the werewolves spin-off?
Darby also played Anton, leader of a werewolf pack, in the 2014 vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. That film led to an FX television series that ran for six seasons.
A proposed werewolf-focused follow-up, We’re Wolves, has not yet arrived. Darby says Clement has told him that the writers are back at work. He expects another update before Christmas, although he does not know how long development will take.
The planned story would centre on Anton and his group of nerdy, like-minded werewolves as they deal with their transformation and try to avoid the police, probably in a small New Zealand town.
Darby would also like to disrupt The Pitt
Another television crossover idea would place Trelane in The Pitt. Darby imagines the character pausing and speeding up time so viewers could see more than one hour of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s chaotic world.
His version of Trelane would not simply create trouble. Darby says the hospital staff need more free time, more hobbies and enough additional staff to reduce their workload.
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Jumanji faces a crowded cinema schedule
Darby plays Nigel Billingsley, the non-player character who explains the rules of the cursed video game in the Jumanji films. Jumanji: Open World was initially scheduled for 11 December but moved to 25 December to avoid opening against Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, both scheduled to premiere on 18 December.
Darby acknowledged that the competition is serious but believes audiences can make room for several strong films. He pointed to renewed enthusiasm for cinema, mentioning The Odyssey, Spider-Man and The End of Oak Street as examples of films helping bring audiences back to theatres.
His view is straightforward: if studios make quality films people genuinely want to see, moviegoers will continue turning up with popcorn.
Where to watch Strange New Worlds season 4
The first seven episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 are available to stream on Paramount Plus. New episodes arrive weekly on Thursdays through 24 September.
Whether Darby eventually receives a Bond call remains unknown, but his case is already well prepared: he has played one Q-like cosmic trickster and clearly knows how much fun an expert gadget-maker can bring to a franchise.
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