Earlier this week we reported how Anson Mount expressed his gratitude for the support he has been getting from fans, and how he was humbled by a popular petition asking for a Captain Pike spin-off on CBS All Access. Those comments on social media were made while Mount was attending Great Philadelphia Comic Con last weekend. It turns out during the panel, Mount spoke more directly about the idea of a Pike series.

There is more of Pike’s story to tell, but it would take some discussion to make it happen

Thanks to a video report of Mount’s GPCC panel from Fandom Spotlite (which you can see in full below) we can hear more from the actor about his time playing Pike on Star Trek: Discovery. The actor confirmed that he just had a one-year contract and has no plans to rejoin the cast for the upcoming third season.

However, when asked if he felt there was more of Pike’s story to tell after the second season finale, Mount affirmed he thought there was, saying:

Sure…There is plenty to flesh out, I think with a lot of these characters. In terms of the timeline, I think there is plenty of time as well. I know what you are getting at [laughs]

When asked pointedly if he would consider returning to the role, Mount said:

It would involve a lot of creative conversations.

When another fan brought up the idea of doing a series set on the Enterprise with Pike, Spock and Number One, Mount again kept the door wide open:

I’d love to see that too. But doing it [laughs]. It’s not an easy show to shoot. This season we shot for eight months, for fourteen episodes. That is a snail’s pace. That is long. But, I don’t know anything that you don’t.

While there is no indication that CBS is seriously considering creating a new ongoing or limited series set on Pike’s Enterprise, they did create new sets for the ship including an elaborate bridge set, which so far have only been used for the two-part finale. And if CBS were interested, Mount’s comments indicate that time away from home to shoot a series would be a factor in his decision-making.

Mount talks Pike’s faith and how he changed key flashforward scene

A central theme of the second season of Discovery was science versus faith. The character of Pike has shown a lot of understanding about faith, but Pike’s specific beliefs have not been detailed. When asked by a fan about his take on Pike’s beliefs, the actor discussed how they may align with his own:

There are things I know about a character and there are things that I suspect. So, I am as much an authority as you or anyone else. But, I suspect – Pike’s from Mojave, he is a horse guy, I think he had good parents – yeah, I think he grew up going to church. But, I do not know what denomination. I am Episcopalian and I have a feeling his relationship with religion and faith is a deeply personal one. I think he is the farthest thing from an evangelical there is. I think he is like me in the sense that the more I learn about science and the sheer vastness of the universe and quantum physics, the more faithful I become. The more faith that I have that this didn’t just happen, and we are seeing a very thin sliver of what actually is.

Another interesting moment during the panel is when Anson Mount talked about the pivotal scene in the episode “Through the Valley of Shadows” when Pike sees a vision of his future. The actor revealed how through his input, something extra was added:

The way that flashforward was scripted originally was just from young Pike’s point of view and I immediately felt this is not right, because there should be a point of view from future Pike as well. We should see what he is getting out of this. And so I asked [director] Doug Aarniokoski to go watch the final scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. And so that that camera language is quite heavily borrowed from that.

Pike’s replacement on the Discovery is unknown

The first part of the season two finale of Discovery showed Pike relinquishing command of the USS Discovery and making Commander Saru the acting captain again. This leaves open the question as to who will be the official captain of the Discovery in the third season. When asked if he knew who would be taking the big chair, Mount said he thinks it remains an open question:

I have absolutely no idea. And if it is any consolation, I don’t think the writers know yet either.

Watch the full panel

The full video of Mount’s panel from Philadelphia Comic Con was posted by Fandom Spotlite. The actor talks about his Star Trek fandom, favorite episodes, themes of the show, visiting The Original Series Set Tour, how he prepared to play Pike and more.

Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusively in the USA on CBS All Access. It airs in Canada on Space and streams on CraveTV. It is available on Netflix everywhere else.

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.