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Jan 12, 2024

Wesley Crusher’s Canon

Star Trek: Nemesis features an odd cameo, as Wesley Crusher briefly appears in

Star Trek: Nemesis features an odd cameo, as Wesley Crusher briefly appears in Starfleet uniform after he left the organization to become a Traveler.

Star Trek: Nemesis features an odd cameo, as Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) briefly appears in Starfleet uniform after he left the organization to become a Traveler. Wheaton starred as young Wesley Crusher, the son of the USS Enterprise-D's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), for Star Trek: The Next Generation's first four seasons. An Acting Ensign, Wesley often served as the ship's helmsman in early seasons.

Wesley departed Star Trek: The Next Generation in the season four episode "Final Mission," explained as him leaving for Starfleet Academy. Wesley had a turbulent time at the Academy, including getting involved in a conspiracy to cover up the accidental death of a friend in the TNG season five episode "The First Duty." Wesley eventually left Starfleet Academy to join the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) to explore higher planes of existence, but was curiously back in Starfleet uniform a few years later for the wedding of Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) in Star Trek: Nemesis.

When Wesley left to become a Traveler in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Journey's End," it was implied he'd be going on a long journey that would keep him from seeing his family friends for a significant period of time. Indeed, in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Beverly Crusher suggests it's been several years since she's seen Wesley, making her all the more terrified for her other son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). The Travelers seem to live a fairly nomadic, lonely life, the tradeoff for wielding so much power in the galaxy.

Wesley's appearance at the wedding of Riker and Troi in Star Trek: Nemesis seems more and more like a continuity error as time goes on. Per Wheaton himself, the film's writers did not have an internal explanation for how Wesley was back, they just wanted to include Wheaton in what was likely to be the final Star Trek: The Next Generation film. Wheaton's explanation of the life of a Traveler would seem to overtly contradict his presence. It's a nice sentiment to include Wesley, but it's one that has caused some continuity headaches.

Wesley's presence at the wedding of Riker and Troi in Star Trek: Nemesis is, on its face, a little baffling. And yet there's a fairly straightforward explanation as to why Wesley would be back in Starfleet uniform nearly a decade after departing with the Traveler - he had a change of heart. While Wesley may be a special person in the same way Mozart was, Starfleet is in his blood, as his mother, father, and stand-in father figure Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) all served in the organization with distinction. It's not too much of a stretch to believe he changed his mind and re-enlisted at some point.

There's not a lot of information about Wesley Crusher's life after Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek: Picard season 2 confirmed his status as an active Traveler, where he recruited Kore Soong (Isa Briones). Whatever the explanation for the Star Trek: Nemesis hiccup, it's good to know Wesley is finally fulfilling his destiny.

Dusty Stowe has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016. A native of Yorktown, Virginia, he moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently writes lists, features, and news articles covering movies, comics, and television. He is a devoted fan of Doctor Who, DC Comics, and whatever David Lynch deems us worthy of viewing. Star Trek: The Next Generation lit up his five year-old brain like a firework, ensuring he’d be a progressive nerd for the rest of his life. His current focuses are on covering the Arrowverse, Star Trek: Discovery, and the DC Cinematic Universe. He is also a trained audio engineer with a degree from the Los Angeles Film School, and manages multiple corporate social media accounts. He really, really wants a new Green Lantern movie. You can talk to him about football, politics, and his weird nerd takes on Twitter @dustystowe.