Star Trek: TNG creator Gene Roddenberry reportedly had a wildly different idea for the show’s most controversial and hated character, Wesley Crusher, in the initial pitch for the show. According to Roddenberry’s biography, a very early series bible described the character as, “a Yodaish m****t named Wesley Crusher” (via Gene Roddenberry).
The description is outdated in terms of political correctness. Still, the original plan was reportedly to have an alien-named Wesley Crusher, similar to the Star Wars character Yoda. The Star Wars franchise was indirectly responsible for a sci-fi series like Trek being revived in the ‘70s. This reference seemed to be a more direct inspiration from the blockbuster film series.
Gene Roddenberry Had Radically Different Ideas for Wesley Crusher Initially
Showrunner Gene Roddenberry was tapped to create a spinoff/sequel to his cancelled space opera, Star Trek, after its success on syndication and the success of sci-fi films like Star Wars. The creator had several ideas for the characters in The Next Generation, but he seemed to have quite a few iterations of Wesley Crusher before arriving at the version we know.
The character was initially conceived as a Yoda-like alien called Wesley Crusher. The description was of a little person who was also an alien on the Enterprise. It wasn’t clear whether his mother, Dr. Beverley Crusher, was an alien too, or if that character was even conceived at that moment in time. Clearly, that idea did not last.
Somewhere along the line, the idea of a teenage prodigy being aboard the Enterprise seemed to take shape, with initial casting sheets describing the character as Leslie Crusher, a teenage girl instead of a boy (via Slash Film).
LESLIE CRUSHER: An appealing 15-year-old Caucasian girl (need a small 18 or almost-18-year-old to play 15). Her remarkable mind and photographic memory make it seem not unlikely for her to become, at 15, a Starfleet acting ensign. Otherwise, she is a normal teenager.
This description seems more in line with what Wesley Crusher eventually became in The Next Generation. It is not clear at what point Gene Roddenberry changed the gender of the character from a teenage girl to a teenage boy. Would Leslie have faced the same amount of hate as Wesley if she were on screen? We will never know.
Wil Wheaton Did Not Deserve the Hate, but the Criticisms Still Made Sense
Actor Wil Wheaton faced the brunt of the hate for his character, Wesley Crusher, in The Next Generation. Thousands of Star Trek fans hated the character, but the teen actor did not have to take the fire from people he did not know. The actor himself mentioned how it led to him resenting the franchise for the longest time (via Wil Wheaton).
While the method was wrong, the criticisms of the character’s presence and characterization still hold true. Wesley was positioned as a child prodigy who could come up with insane ideas to save the Enterprise during dire situations. It is not a sin to have a deus ex machina. However, making a fifteen-year-old be the savior of trained Starfleet officers was hard to believe.
Starfleet has long been a highly competitive organization that only chooses the best of the best. Further, the Enterprise is a higher-grade ship that houses, again, some of the best Starfleet officers. It is quite a stretch to make Wesley Crusher win over such high-aptitude officers, especially in situations that he has no experience in.
What do you think about Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: TNG? Comment below.
Star Trek: TNG is available to stream on Paramount+.
