Exploring Captain Will Decker: The Overlooked Star Trek Original Movie Character

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Captain Will Decker, portrayed by Stephen Collins, had a promising future ahead of him, but fate had other plans. Set years after the original events of Star Trek: The Original Series, the film follows Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) as he resumes command of the retrofitted USS Enterprise. The ship faces a formidable new challenge: a mysterious alien entity, later identified as V’ger, that is on a collision course with Earth and possesses the capability to obliterate the planet.

Starfleet’s decision to assign Admiral Kirk to the mission sparked tension with Captain Willard Decker, who had been preparing to take command. Kirk had personally selected Decker for the captaincy, and the latter had dedicated significant time to familiarizing himself with the Enterprise following its upgrades. Although Decker’s rank was temporarily reduced to First Officer under Kirk, his expertise proved instrumental in thwarting the unconventional threat posed by V’ger.

Insights into Captain Will Decker from Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The Missed Command Opportunity for Decker

Will Decker emerges as a dedicated and ambitious officer within Starfleet, expressing his frustrations when Admiral Kirk re-establishes command. Despite his protests that he understands the Enterprise better than anyone, Decker ultimately complies with Kirk’s directives. The introduction of Lt. Ilia (Persis Khambatta), the new Deltan navigator who shares a romantic history with Decker, adds emotional complexity to the mission.

The character of Will Decker was initially crafted for Star Trek: Phase II, a proposed spin-off series following Star Trek: The Original Series. In light of the franchise’s resurgence in the late 1970s, Paramount Studios aimed to continue the story with another five-year mission. Decker was designated as the First Officer aboard the Enterprise, which reflected in the eventual script for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The Fate of Captain Will Decker: A Character Lost

Will Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

As the USS Enterprise nears V’ger, the entity unleashes a probe that tragically claims Ilia’s life, subsequently replacing her with a robotic doppelgänger to extract information. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Decker realizes that V’ger has assimilated Ilia’s memories. In the climax of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Decker merges with this new form, effectively writing off both his and Ilia’s characters from the franchise.

Even if this new life form were to reappear in future installments, it is likely they would bear little resemblance to the original Will Decker. Following the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, many concepts from Star Trek: Phase II resurfaced, influencing the characterization of Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Notably, Riker parallels Decker as First Officer of the USS Enterprise-D, and shares a romantic past with Troi, who possesses empathic traits akin to those of Ilia.

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