Anticipation is rising for Star Trek: Picard and the return of Patrick Stewart to the franchise. Following the launch of a photo and a logo at the CBS Upfronts, the network has now released a featurette that looks into why Jean-Luc Picard is such an iconic character. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will get a welcome nostalgia shot, while new viewers can see just what a badass Picard was in his Enterprise days.

In the video above, Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman reflects on the enduring appeal of Picard, commenting:

“Captain Picard, in some ways he is the ultimate captain and he is the ultimate captain because of his incredible decency, because of his incredible thoughtfulness, because he was always human, fundamentally, in the choices that he made even when the pressure was really, really high.”

These qualities are as much a credit to the way Picard was developed in the original series and movies, as to the gravitas that Patrick Stewart brought to the role. The actor has since gone on to take on other iconic parts, including Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, but Picard arguably remains his most well-known and widely-loved character.

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Star Trek: Discovery actor Wilson Cruz, meanwhile, had this to say about the captain:

“We root for him and we’re willing to go on whatever ride he takes us on because of that. He, for me, was the ultimate captain, the ultimate leader. I think right now, in this moment, we are all looking anywhere and everywhere we can for true signs of leadership and I think Picard is a great model for that.”

10 episodes of Star Trek: Picard recently went into production and from what we understand, they’ll take place about 20 years after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation, likely focusing on the effect of the destruction of Romulus.

The series will premiere on CBS All Access later in 2019, with Amazon distributing the latest entry in the Star Trek franchise worldwide. A proper trailer has yet to debut, but as soon as we have one, we’ll be sure to let you know.