Spock Was Supposed To Be Half-Martian When ‘Star Trek’ Was Created

Leonard Nimoy’s Star Trek character is still arguably the most iconic figure in the entire franchise, but Spock almost looked very different. While he’s known for being a human/Vulcan hybrid, creator Gene Roddenberry had another race in mind when it came to what species he wanted to combine with Earth’s native race. He ultimately landed on Vulcan, and the reason for changing his mind could be argued as incredibly optimistic. That said, in 2026, it turned out to be the correct choice.

Spock made his Star Trek debut in 1966’s Original Series premiere, and Nimoy went on to reprise the role in other projects. The character has also been inherited by two younger actors, with Zachary Quinto playing him in JJ Abrams’ Kelvin Timeline movies, and Ethan Peck stepping in as Spock Prime in Discovery and Strange New Worlds. Regardless of the actor, Spock’s half-Vulcan background has been a major element of what helps define him. If Roddenberry had opted for his original choice of lineage for Spock, the character probably wouldn’t have stood the test of time quite so well.

Spock Was Originally Supposed To Be Half-Martin

Paramount

When Roddenberry pitched Spock as a character, Nimoy’s in-universe persona was half-Martian. So, while his human lineage would have remained intact, one of Spock’s parents would have been from Mars. The Red Planet was incredibly popular as a setting in sci-fi at the time, so this isn’t really a surprise. Still, the trend meant making Spock from Mars would have dated Star Trek, but Roddenberry actually had a far more specific and urgent reason for changing his mind.

It was planned to give Spock a reddish tinge if he were half-Martian.

Alexander David wrote an authorized biography of Gene Roddenberry, which was published in 1996. In the book, it was revealed that the Star Trek creator ultimately became apprehensive about giving Spock any kind of Martian background. The reason for his concern was that Roddenberry thought it might be possible that mankind would walk on the real Mars in his lifetime. If so, then either the discovery or absence of life on Mars would have immediately broken the illusion of Star Trek being a genuine future for humanity.

Why Gene Roddenberry Was Right About Spock’s Background

The Star Trek creator was a little optimistic about when humanity would reach Mars. While there’s still been no manned mission to the Red Planet, NASA landed the Soujourner rover on the planet’s surface in July 1997. Roddenberry passed away in 1991, so although he never got to see this landmark occasion, or any of the following rovers that successfully landed on Mars, the missions did vindicate his decision not to make Spock half-Vulcan. There has been no evidence of sentient life on the planet, nor that there ever was.

If Spock had been half-Martian, then his species would have needed to evolve on the planet and build a spacefaring civilization there. The 1997 NASA mission would have ruined the immersion of Star Trek, despite the space opera being set in the 23rd century. While this revelation happened later than Roddenberry had anticipated, it still proves that making Spock half-Vulcan was the right move. Plus, by introducing a race that originated on a new planet beyond the Solar System, modern-day Star Trek viewers still have the option of suspending their disbelief and choosing to believe that Spock’s homeworld is still out there somewhere, waiting for humanity to boldly go and find it.