Star Trek: Why Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) Quit TNG
Why did Wil Wheaton quit Star Trek: The Next Generation? Bringing Gene Roddenberry's iconic sci-fi property back to the small screen, Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced a new cast of space-faring adventurers that would become closer than family to the millions watching at home — the likes of Jean-Luc Picard, Data, and Will Riker. Most of The Next Generation's Enterprise crew were embraced by audiences, but one provoked backlash on a scale Star Trek had never before experienced — Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher.
Introduced in The Next Generation's debut season, Wesley was the highly-intelligent prodigal son of chief medical officer, Beverly Crusher. Having a young ensign strolling around the Enterprise bridge thinking he knew better than the adults (and usually proving he did) grated on fans, who made no secret of how they'd grown weary of Wesley. After appearing regularly throughout The Next Generation's first four seasons, Wesley Crusher quit in season 4, choosing Starfleet Academy over the Enterprise, but dropping by for guest spots in seasons 5 and 7, as well as Star Trek: Nemesis.
Related: The Rock's Forgotten Star Trek Cameo Explained
Due to the horrible backlash he experienced from The Next Generation viewers, Wil Wheaton initially kept his distance from Starfleet matters after quitting Star Trek. But as the actor grew older and fans saw more of the man behind Wesley Crusher, that relationship did a 180-degree flip. Not only is Wil Wheaton now bona fide Star Trek royalty, but he's become increasingly open about leaving the Enterprise and the ensuing emotional aftermath.
The reason for Wil Wheaton's departure from the main Star Trek: The Next Generation cast has been addressed by the actor himself. Writing on
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