Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Confirms Avery Brooks Won't Reprise Captain Sisko Role

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 5 - "Series Acclimation Mil"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy tacitly confirms that Avery Brooks won't reprise his role as Captain Benjamin Sisko. Written by Kirsten Beyer and Tawny Newsome, and directed by Larry Teng, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 is a loving and heartfelt tribute to Avery Brooks' legacy as Captain Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

As Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks) investigated what happened to Captain Sisko at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy pulled out all the stops. Cirroc Lofton reprised his role as Jake Sisko, appearing in Star Trek for the first time in 27 years to inspire SAM in her mission as the Emissary to her people, the Kasq.

Tawny Newsome also portrays Professor Illa Dax, the host of the Dax symbiont in the 32nd century. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 contains loving details about Captain Sisko's life, including familiar artifacts and ephemera in The Sisko Museum like Benjamin's prized baseball, Niners cap, and Willie Mays baseball card.

Topping it all off is a voice-over narration by Avery Brooks, as if Captain Sisko is speaking to the audience at the end of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5. As uplifting as it was to hear new words spoken by Mr. Brooks, it's also a wistful reminder that we won't see Avery play Captain Sisko again.

Avery Brooks Won't Return To Star Trek As Captain Sisko

77-year-old Avery Brooks has retired from acting and left Star Trek behind. As co-producer Tawny Newsome explained in an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Mr. Brooks was approached through Cirroc Lofton to participate in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 in any way he saw fit. Newsome says:

We knew from the beginning that the best way to honor Sisko and honor Mr. Brooks himself was with his blessing and with his involvement, whatever he wanted that to be.

However, Avery Brooks declined to appear as Captain Sisko in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Instead, Mr. Brooks gave his permission for Starfleet Academy to use a vocal clip from his jazz album, "Here...", which was selected by Cirroc Lofton for the episode.

Ever since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended in 1999, fans hoped Avery Brooks would return as Captain Sisko, especially since his peers like Patrick Stewart as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Kate Mulgrew as Admiral Kathryn Janeway mounted acclaimed comebacks in Star Trek on Paramount+ series.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 is a sincere and respectful love letter to Benjamin Sisko that included Cirroc Lofton and was co-written by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine superfan Tawny Newsome. The circumstances could not have been more ideal, and Mr. Brooks would have been surrounded by love and reverential awe had he chosen to reprise Captain Sisko.

Unfortunately, Avery Brooks sticking to his guns and passing on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 effectively closes the door on the possibility of him ever playing Captain Sisko again. Fans like me simply have to accept that our dream will not come true, although Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a wonderful gift to settle for.

Starfleet Academy Finally Gave Sisko His Deserved Star Trek Honors

In the 9 years since Star Trek: Discovery launched the modern Star Trek era on Paramount+, there has been a Captain Sisko and Deep Space Nine-sized void. It seemed like DS9 and Sisko were left out of major comeback opportunities that were afforded to other Star Trek casts and their iconic Captains.

Several Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actors voiced their characters on Star Trek: Lower Decks, which became Paramount+'s haven for DS9 love. Meanwhile, Star Trek: The Next Generation's cast reunited in Star Trek: Picard season 3, increasing DS9 fans' yearning for their favorite show to receive a live-action comeback or equal reverence.

Unfortunately, the deaths of Rene Auberjonois and Aron Eisenberg automatically mean a full-scale Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reunion is impossible. With Avery Brooks' comeback as Captain Sisko also kaput for all intents and purposes, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 embraced the chance to give Sisko and DS9 their deserved flowers.

Happily, Tawny Newsome and Kirsten Beyer cracked the code of how to properly homage Captain Sisko and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, thanks in no small part to Cirroc Lofton's personal relationship with Avery Brooks. Given the realities of Mr. Brooks' retirement, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy emerges as the best possible tribute to Sisko.

SAM and her fellow Starfleet Academy cadets searching for answers about Captain Sisko was a welcome way to introduce Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to a new generation, with the proper respect and admiration they are due. Sisko and DS9 take their place as Star Trek legends to inspire SAM and the future of Starfleet 800 years later.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 is a beautiful and poignant ode to Captain Sisko and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, while also serving as a confirmation that Avery Brooks won't play Benjamin Sisko again. While this is a sad truth to accept, I understand and support Mr. Brooks' choice. In Captain Sisko's own words, "I can live with it."