'Star Trek: Picard' Engages Michael Chabon As Official Showrunner

It was previously announced that Star Trek: Picard wouldn't have a traditional showrunner, but instead be managed by an entire team. That's changed. Writer Michael Chabon has been named the official showrunner of the CBS All Access series, which finds Patrick Stewart returning to the iconic role he originated on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Variety is reporting the news about Michael Chabon taking over as the Picard showrunner. "Star Trek has been an important part of my way of thinking about the world, the future, human nature, storytelling and myself since I was ten years old," Chabon said. "I come to work every day in a state of joy and awe at having been entrusted with the character and the world of Jean-Luc Picard, with this vibrant strand of the rich, intricate and complex tapestry that is Trek."

Chabon is the award-winning novelist behind Wonder Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Chabon also wrote a draft of Spider-Man 2 (about a third of what Chabon penned made it into the final film).

Picard follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard after the events of The Next Generation and its several film spin-offs. "The mandate was to make it a more psychological show, a character study about this man in his emeritus years," executive producer Alex Kurtzman said. "There are so few shows that allow a significantly older protagonist to be the driver....What happens when circumstances have conspired to not give him the happiest of endings? Hopefully, it's a reinforcement of [Trek creator Gene] Roddenberry's vision of optimism. He's going to have to go through deep valleys to get back to the light."

"I feel I'm ready to return to [the character] to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times," Patrick Stewart said when the show was first announced.

In the past, Kurtzman claimed that the series wouldn't have a showrunner, but rather be "shepherded by a larger creative team," but it looks like they've decided to change that idea. In addition to Stewart, Picard features Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera and Harry Treadaway. Stewart, Kurtzman, Xhabon, Akiva Goldsman, James Duff, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth all serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Picard will premiere on CBS All Access later this year. It's one of several Trek-related titles headed to the streaming service, which already airs Star Trek: Discovery.