Data had a fascinating life on Star Trek BEFORE the Next Generation

Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) became one of the Star Trek: The Next Generation'and most beloved characters, but the android had a fascinating life before the show even began. As the operations officer of the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data has helped save the galaxy countless times. Without Data's enhanced android abilities and resistance to pathogens and mental manipulation, the Enterprise would have been destroyed multiple times. Data was the only android of his kind serving in Starfleet and he wanted nothing more than to be human.

Throughout its seven seasons, TNG revealed many interesting facts about Data's history. However, nothing of his life before the Enterprise-D was shown on screen. The data was created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), and he and his wife, Juliana (Fionnula Flanagan), came to see the android as their son. Data spent his early days living among the colonists of Omicron Theta while Dr. Soong perfected the android's programming. Dr. Soong and his wife fled Omicron Theta when a mysterious Crystalline Entity attacked the planet, and the deactivated Data was left behind.

Data's Starfleet career before Star Trek: The Next Generation began is fascinating

Data was a great Starfleet officer even before the Enterprise

The Federation ship USS Tripoli encountered Data on Omicron Theta on February 2, 2338. After being reactivated, Data's programming advanced rapidly until he achieved sentience. When Data raised a daughter in TNG In season three, episode 16, “The Offspring”, he recalled his own “childhood”, saying that he had no one to guide him while his neural network was developing. Because he was rescued by Starfleet, Data chose to attend Starfleet Academy starting in 2341. He achieved excellent grades and graduated with honors, although he faced some social difficulties.

Shortly after graduating from the Academy, Ensign Data was assigned to the USS Trieste and spent the next few years advancing through the ranks. In his second year on Enterprise, Data had already achieved several of Starfleet's highest awards, although the specific events leading up to these tributes were not explored on screen. Data had an impressive and unique career in Starfleet before joining the crew of the Enterprise-D, and his life continued to get more interesting as he progressed.

Why Star Trek Probably Won't Show Data's Life Before Next Generation

Anything is possible, but it would be difficult to pull off a data prequel story

While it would be fascinating to see Data's life before Star Trek: The Next Generation, it seems unlikely that Star Trek will show these events on the screen. Brent Spiner has continued to age since 1987, so he couldn't play a younger version of Data. With programs like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek has a good track record when it comes to recasting iconic characters. That said, while it's possible that Data could be recast with a younger actor, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Spiner playing the beloved android (although the same has also been said about Spock).

Star Trek: Lower Decks has already brought back an alternate universe version of Data (voiced by Spiner), so an animated show or film could be a possibility to explore Data's story. It is also possible that Star Trek: Section 31, which is defined in Star Trek “lost era” could reference Data or Dr. Noonien Soong in some way. Even though Star Trek never shows Data's life before Star Trek: The Next Generation, Future projects may reveal more about one of the franchise's most fascinating characters.