Star Trek Designer Reveals How a 63-year-old Sci-Fi Series Influenced Star Trek: Voyager

It’s been 30 years since Star Trek fans first watched the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager become stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Before Voyager premiered in 1995, the team behind the show, which included creators Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor, was looking for a unique design for its titular ship, which turned out to come from a unique source.

In a new interview from TrekMovie’s All Access Star Trek podcast, Doug Drexler, an Oscar-winning makeup artist, designer, and illustrator, talked about the 1960s sci-fi comedy, My Favorite Martian, that would end up inspiring the design of the iconic ship captained by Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) on

Star Trek: Voyager.

Drexler, whose sketches provided the basis for the final ship design from Rick Sternback, said that the ship from My Favorite Martian inspired his Voyager sketches. Coincidentally, the star of

My Favorite Martian, Ray Walston, who played Uncle Martin on the show from 1963 to 1966, also appeared in Star Trek. He played Boothby, the groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy on

Star Trek: The Next Generation and reprised the role on Voyager.

“I was a big fan of My Favorite Martian with Ray Walston,” Drexler said on the podcast. “And his spaceship was like a one-man sportster, almost, which was hidden in a garage. And I love that design so much. And I had a model of Uncle Martin’s spaceship on my desk. And I did one [design] that had the elongated nose. And they decided: ‘That’s it,’” revealed Drexler.

Drexler said that Voyager co-creator and executive producer, Jeri Taylor, said she liked the initial design that Sternbach provided, but that she wanted the U.S.S. Voyager to be “rounded out more, kind of like a Lexus.” Drexler added that the fact that the

Voyager team was drawn to his Uncle Martin’s ship-inspired ideas came as a surprise. “I couldn’t believe it. But there was a definite DNA connection between My Favorite Martian and the

Voyager, as Drexler has a full-size replica of Martin’s ship in his garage.

Voyager’s Design Did Get Push-Back from Studio Execs

Even though the executives at the show loved his design, Drexler said there were some roadblocks along the way. “I remember there was some push-back from the studio, from someone… probably one of the exec’s kids… who said it looked like a sperm. Sternbach went from there, and the concept underwent revisions until they ended up with the ship we know… As always, Rick Sternbach did an amazing job,” Drexler said. Drexler would also go on to design the NX-01 ship featured in

Star Trek: Enterprise.

One of the stars of Voyager, Robert Picardo, who played the holographic doctor in all seven seasons of the series, will be reprising his role in the upcoming

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The series, which will feature the first Academy class in a century, is set to premiere on Paramount+ on Jan. 15, 2026. Starfleet Academy also stars Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, and George Hawkins. Additionally, the cast includes Bella Shepard, Zoë Steiner, Tig Notaro, and guest stars Oded Fehr, Mary Wiseman, as well as recurring guest stars Gina Yashere, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Giamatti.

How Many Episodes Will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 Have? Everything to Know About Pedro Pascal’s Potential Return

Will Pedro Pascal return for The Last of Us S3? We have the details on the new season and the controversy surrounding the star.

The Last of Us will return for its third season in 2027. The announcement came after the second season concluded, confirming a longer episode count than the previous seven-episode installment. Showrunner Craig Mazin stated the new season’s length will be more comparable to the nine episodes of Season 1.

Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter,

We’re kind of fiddling around with that — it’s a little bit of a trade secret at the moment. But I will say that season three will be longer than season two. Season three will be more on par with season one. More bang for the buck.”

The story will now center on Kaitlyn Dever’s character, Abby Anderson, which leaves Pedro Pascal’s return as Joel uncertain following the death of his character.

The Last of Us Season Two Ending Explained: Will Pedro Pascal Be in Season 3?

The second season delivered a significant plot twist early on, with Joel’s death occurring in the second episode rather than the finale. Abby Anderson finds him at a ski lodge and k*lls him with a golf club as retribution for her father’s death, which Joel caused in the first season. Ellie witnesses the m*rder, an event that fuels her actions throughout the remaining episodes.

The season’s finale follows Ellie’s pursuit of revenge across Seattle. She travels with Dina, who reveals she is pregnant with Jesse’s child. By the seventh episode, Ellie tracks Abby’s companions to the Seattle Aquarium, where she k*lls Owen and fatally injures Mel.

The confrontation freezes Ellie when Mel reveals her pregnancy. The final scene cuts between Ellie’s moral crisis and flashbacks of Abby’s perspective, ending with Abby holding a gun to Ellie’s head.

Pedro Pascal could reappear in the third season through flashback sequences. Showrunner Craig Mazin hinted at this possibility, suggesting fans should “never say never about seeing Joel again.” Mazin mentioned that Season 3 might explore side stories, such as Joel and Tommy terrorizing the countryside, similar to a flashback used in Season 2. (via People)

So maybe a side trip to Joel and Tommy terrorizing the countryside.

With Abby becoming the new central figure, incorporating Joel through flashbacks would fit the show’s narrative structure.

Why Pedro Pascal’s 2025 DILF Crown Sparked Backlash on Social Media

Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us | Credit: HBO

Pedro Pascal’s online popularity surged in 2024 and early 2025, where he was widely labeled the internet’s favorite “DILF

.” The moniker originated from a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, in which he jokingly referred to himself as “I’m your daddy.”

This led to intense public analysis of his appearance and fashion, curated by stylist Julie Ragolia to challenge conventional masculine imagery. His clothing choices became frequent viral topics.

A backlash ignited in July 2025 after anti-trans activist Posie Parker shared videos that she claimed showed Pascal being inappropriately physical with female co-stars. The clips depicted him holding colleagues’ arms and placing his hands on their hips, leading to a surge of posts on X.

The campaign was linked to Pascal’s public support for trans rights and his criticism of J.K. Rowling (via People). Pascal’s representatives explained his physical contact as a way to manage anxiety in difficult situations. According to Pride.com, the accusations were a fabricated controversy intended to target his activism.

The situation escalated to the point that stylist Julie Ragolia received death threats in April 2025 from fans upset with his fashion (via Forbes). By September 2025, Pete Davidson defended Pascal on a podcast, noting the pattern of social media building up celebrities only to tear them down .

What do you think? Should Pedro Pascal return for Season 3, or is Abby’s story enough? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

You can stream The Last of Us

on HBO Max in the US.

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