Hell on Wheels star Anson Mount plays the charming and empathetic Captain Christopher Pike on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Summary

• Anson Mount's portrayal of Captain Pike on Star Trek: Discovery was so popular that Paramount+ ordered a spin-off focusing on his continuing adventures on the Enterprise.
• Captain Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is deeply empathetic, possesses a strong moral center, and values the opinions of his crew, making him one of Starfleet's best captains.
• Anson Mount brings charm, warmth, and a sense of hope to the role of Captain Pike, making him more likable and less of a brash action hero compared to the original portrayal by Jeffrey Hunter.

Anson Mount plays Captain Christopher Pike on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but he first played the character in Star Trek: Discovery season 2. Captain Pike commanded the USS Enterprise before Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) took over. Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter, was introduced in the original unaired pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series entitled "The Cage," but those who watched TOS first met Pike, played by Sean Kennery, in the season one two-part episode, "The Menagerie." Though Pike only played a small role in TOS, the character has become a major figure in Star Trek lore.

Anson Mount's portrayal of Captain Pike on Star Trek: Discovery proved to be so popular that Paramount+ ordered a spin-off of his continuing adventures on the Enterprise. As revealed back in 1966 in "The Menagerie," Christopher Pike is doomed to be horrifically injured in an accident while saving several Starfleet cadets. Pike learns of his eventual fate on Discovery, but he continues to lead the Enterprise crew with grace, despite the dark future looming over him. Anson Mount's Captain Pike has quickly become one of the best elements of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Anson Mount's Captain Pike In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Explained

Captain Christopher Pike commands the USS Enterprise on Strange New Worlds, with his First Officer Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Science Officer Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck). Pike received top marks at Starfleet Academy in everything except Astrophysics, and he was the First Officer on the Enterprise under Captain Robert April (Adrian Holmes) before he took over command. Deeply empathetic with a strong moral center, Pike always tries to resolve conflicts peacefully, resorting to violence only as a last resort. He treats his crewmembers like family, often inviting them to his quarters for meals that he prepares himself. Pike values the opinions of everyone on his ship, regardless of rank, and he often relies on the strengths and knowledge of his crew.

Before his time as the captain with the best hair in Starfleet, Anson Mount was best known for starring as former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon on AMC's Hell on Wheels from 2011 to 2016. Also starring Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Colm Meaney, Hell on Wheels followed Cullen Bohannon as he traveled westward with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. In 2002, Anson starred opposite Britney Spears and future Uhura actress Zoe Saldana in Crossroads. Mount also starred as Black Bolt in Marvel's shortlived Inhumans television show in 2017 and reprised the role for a cameo in 2022's Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Anson Mount has done voiceover work for video games and animated projects, including providing the voice for Batman in 2021's Injustice.

How Anson Mount Changed Captain Pike From Star Trek TOS For The Better

Originally played by Jeffrey Hunter, Captain Pike did not have much screen time on Star Trek: The Original Series. NBC rejected the first Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," for being too intellectual, and Jeffrey Hunter's Captain Pike was replaced with William Shatner's Captain Kirk for the next pilot. Some of the footage from that unaired pilot was eventually incorporated into "The Menagerie," establishing Captain Pike as the previous Captain of the Enterprise. Anson Mount takes a different approach to the role of Captain Pike than Hunter did, bringing more charm and warmth to the character.

Hunter's Pike had more bluster, boasting about the Enterprise and its capabilities when he was captured by the Talosians on Talos IV. He also resorted to violence more quickly, and lacked the patience and sense of hope that Anson Mount brings to the role of Pike. Mount also plays Pike as less serious and more willing to joke and laugh with his crew. Mount's Pike is simply more likable, less a brash action hero and more of an easygoing Renaissance man. With his performance in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Anson Mount has cemented Captain Christopher Pike as one of Starfleet's and Star Trek's best captains.