Patrick Stewart didn't want to revisit his 'Star Trek' character

Veteran actor Patrick Stewart maybe be returning to the "Star Trek" universe with a new series based on his iconic character, Jean-Luc Picard, but he initially was not up for it.

The 79-year-old actor, who turned down the opportunity to return to the role twice before, said he had planned to reject the "polite and enthusiastic" approach of producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman to reprise the role as he was convinced his stint with the franchise was "over".

"I had determined long ago that my time with Jean-Luc and 'Star Trek' was over. I had given everything I could to the character in the series.

 

"But when this also came through about two years ago, I agreed with my agent that we would go and attend the meeting with Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, and because their inquiry of me had been so polite and enthusiastic, I wanted to explain to them face-to-face why I was going to pass," Stewart told Vulture magazine.

The film-stage veteran later met with the producers, who understood his viewpoint but went on to explain their "vision", which piqued his interest.

"They listened to me talk for half an hour or so. They said fine, they understood all that, but they had a few more things they wanted to say and they talked in a little more detail about their vision for Picard.

"There was a lot of information; when the meeting broke up and we left, I said to my agent, 'You know, would you mind asking these people if they could put everything they said in writing so that I can read it, study it, think about it?'" he said.

Stewart, who also enjoys fan following as Professor X/ Charles Xavier from the "X-Men" series, said in less than two days he had over 30 pages of copy, which he studied carefully.

"One of the points that I had made in the meeting was that the only possible way I could consider returning to that life would be if, for example -- and this was only an example -- we did something like 'Logan', the final 'X-Men' movie I made with Hugh Jackman; then you would have my attention," he said.

The actor said he was "intrigued" by their next response and their plan to refresh the series.

"They came back with quite a lot to say about that, and they were very enthusiastic about creating a world that was very different from the one that we got used to.

"I met with them again and we talked and talked and I told them about my uncertainties and doubts and little by little I found that they were all being addressed and being addressed in such an interesting way that I was intrigued. This was not going to be 'Star Trek: The Next Generation, Part Two'. That's why I said yes," Stewart said.