10 Cameos From Sci-Fi Stars I'd Love To See In Resident Alien Season 4

July 20, 2024, noon

Movies

10 Cameos From Sci-Fi Stars I'd Love To See In Resident Alien Season 4

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Summary Guest stars in Resident Alien keep the show fresh with familiar faces and fun cameos from established sci-fi actors.

The switch to USA Network may impact the pattern of big names showing up, but the cameo trend is a hallmark of the show.

Desired guest stars like Robert Duncan McNeill, Seth MacFarlane, and Nathan Fillion could bring new energy to Resident Alien season 4.

Resident Alien has had plenty of established sci-fi TV and movie stars show up across the first three seasons, and it's a trend I hope continues into Resident Alien season 4. As a huge fan of the science-fiction genre, it's always a pleasant surprise to spot familiar faces in the irreverent Alan Tudyk-led dramedy, no matter how brief their cameos may be. Some Resident Alien sci-fi guest stars have gone on to become a huge part of the cast, whereas others pay just a fleeting visit to Patience, Colorado. Both scenarios are fun, and they keep the cast lineup fresh.

I'm realistic about what I expect from Resident Alien season 4 guest stars. While the show has already managed to snag huge actors like Terminator's Linda Hamilton and Star Trek's George Takei, there's no guarantee Resident Alien's recent switch from Syfy to USA Network will continue the pattern of big names showing up. However, the cameo trend has quietly become one of Resident Alien's hallmarks, so the producers can't let it fall away completely. As such, my list of desired guest stars is a blend of being guided by what the show has done before as well as realistic castings.

Related 9 Burning Questions For Resident Alien Season 4 & What We Think The Answers Will Be Although Resident Alien season 4 hasn't yet been confirmed, the next installment of the Syfy show needs to answer questions posed by season 3.

10 Robert Duncan McNeill

Best known for: Star Trek: Voyager

McNeill played Lt. Tom Paris in all 7 seasons of Star Trek: Voyager. He has moved away from acting in recent years and has long been focusing on other facets of the creative process, but I was thrilled when he recently reprised his Star Trek role in the animated spinoff show, Star Trek: Lower Decks. Before that, his last credited acting role was in a 2012 episode of Chuck. However, McNeill already has a direct connection to Resident Alien, which I think could make the possibility of a cameo much more likely.

The former member of the Star Trek: Voyager cast is a producer on Resident Alien, and has also directed 10 episodes to date.

The former member of the Star Trek: Voyager cast is a producer on Resident Alien, and has also directed 10 episodes to date. He has also snagged his very first writing credit on the show for the Resident Alien season 3 finale, "Homecoming." McNeill has been an incredibly key behind-the-scenes figure for Resident Alien, so I'd love him to add to his contributions by appearing in front of the camera for a cameo appearance.

9 Seth MacFarlane

Best known for: The Orville

While many may know Seth MacFarlane for his role as the creator of Family Guy, his role on The Orville means he's recognizable as a sci-fi actor now too. It wasn't hard for me to work out he's a huge fan of the genre, what with the endless references to huge sci-fi franchises in both Family Guy and American Dad! Although, the most solid piece of evidence came when MacFarlane created and chose to star in The Orville.

His take on the Star Trek franchise has made him a force to be reckoned with in sci-fi, and his performances as Captain Ed Mercer give him a rare live-action character.

His take on the Star Trek franchise has made him a force to be reckoned with in sci-fi, and his performances as Captain Ed Mercer give him a rare live-action character. Seth MacFarlane has made several cameos in TV shows and movies, but often by making use of his immense voice-acting talents. Resident Alien could explore this route and bring MacFarlane in to voice an extraterrestrial character, but I think an in-person cameo would align better with his status as a star in The Orville. It also goes without saying that MacFarlane's comedic stylings would blend perfectly with Resident Alien's.

8 Nathan Fillion

Best known for: Firefly

Now, I'm aware that Nathan Fillion has already technically appeared in Resident Alien, voicing an octopus named 42 in several episodes. Fillion's casting as 42 created something of a mini-reunion, as Alan Tudyk was also a mainstay in the Firefly cast. While Fillion did a great job voicing 42, I'm of the strong opinion that not having the actor himself appear onscreen was a massive waste.

Nathan Fillion deserves the chance to use his entire skill set, especially in a show that suits him as perfectly as Resident Alien. While it could be argued that having him appear in person opposite his former Firefly co-star could be distracting, Resident Alien often makes use of heavy prosthetics. So, Fillion could play an alien character to keep everybody happy. Although, I'd be fine with him appearing without the makeup too.

7 Kate Mulgrew

Best known for: Star Trek: Voyager

Another former Star Trek: Voyager star, Mulgrew played Captain Kathryn Janeway throughout all seven seasons. Since Voyager ended, she has managed to avoid being typecast as a sci-fi actor, although she has returned to the genre several times. Her varied acting history shows how flexible she can be. While I know her primarily as a dramatic actor, watching her as Janeway proves she's no stranger to breaking a scene's tension with a well-timed joke. Although, Linda Hamilton's Resident Alien character has already proven that not everyone in Resident Alien show has to be a barrel of laughs to be effective.

While science-fiction hasn't been the focus of Mulgrew's career, I was delighted when I saw her returning to the franchise for which she's most known to voice an animated version of her Voyager character in Star Trek: Prodigy. So, her willingness to take on sci-fi projects despite her varied career is a promising sign for my desire to see her make a cameo appearance in Resident Alien season 4.

6 Karen Gillan

Best known for: Doctor Who, the MCU

Of the names on this list, Gillan would probably be the most difficult acquisition for Resident Alien. She is still active in one of the biggest movie franchises on the planet, so with Resident Alien season 4 being rumored to have its budget cut, it's possible her salary would be too high. That being said, she recently appeared in a TV miniseries called Douglas is Cancelled, so there is hope yet to see her star alongside Alan Tudyk in season 4.

2:37 Related Resident Alien Season 4 Already Set Up The Show's Next Best Sci-Fi Guest Star Resident Alien has already had several sci-fi stars appear in guest roles, but the show's next big cameo could come from an unexpected place.

Karen Gillan's role as Nebula in the MCU makes her almost unrecognizable, but I and many other fans of hers know what she really looks like from appearing as Amy Pond alongside Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who. A few members of the Resident Alien cast often zip between being heavily disguised and showing their true faces. Now that Gillan has proven her acting talents don't diminish when she's covered in prosthetics and makeup, this could increase her chances of being considered for a Resident Alien season 4.

5 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Best known for: The Terminator

It felt very obvious to me from the season 3 finale that Resident Alien season 4's story will be a nod to 1984's The Terminator. With Terry Quinn back as the tricked-out Alien Tracker, the aesthetic similarities between his character and Schwarzenegger's T-800 are impossible to deny. With Linda Hamilton already present among the Resident Alien cast, I'd love to see Schwarzenegger brought on board to complete the Terminator homage.

Although he's better known as an action hero, movies like 1990's Kindergarten Cop and 1996's Jingle All the Way prove the Terminator star doesn't shy away from comedy projects either.

Although he's better known as an action hero, movies like 1990's Kindergarten Cop and 1996's Jingle All the Way prove the Terminator star doesn't shy away from comedy projects either. Resident Alien is at its best when both its comedic and dramatic elements are firing on all cylinders, so an actor like Schwarzenegger would slot in perfectly anyway, regardless of whether the show chooses to double down on its Terminator reference in the Resident Alien season 3 finale.

4 Billy Dee Williams

Best known for: Star Wars

Despite his place among the upper echelon of sci-fi royalty, Billy Dee Williams has still popped up in several movies and TV shows throughout his career that have no connection to his iconic Star Wars role. This attitude of not taking himself too seriously is what would make him a perfect guest star on Resident Alien, as well as the fact that his presence would definitely tick the box of having a sci-fi legend on board.

Unfortunately, Williams doesn't have too many acting credits in recent years, so I may not get to see this play out.

I often think of Williams' cameo in Scrubs season 5, episode 10, "Her Story II," and the fact that he was there at all was almost the entire joke, and yet he played the "part" well. I'd love to see what he could do in a more scripted cameo in Resident Alien, and also while playing a thought-out character rather than just a version of himself. Unfortunately, Williams doesn't have too many acting credits in recent years, so I may not get to see this play out.

3 Claudia Black

Best known for: Farscape

Claudia Black's most iconic role is Aeyrn Sun as part of the Farscape cast. Since the show ended in 2003, Black hasn't shied away from the sci-fi genre. Not only have I seen her pop up in live-action sci-fi shows like Stargate SG-1 and Ahsoka, but my ears always prick up when I hear her voice in the countless other sci-fi TV shows and video games in which she's starred.

Although Claudia Black tends to largely take voice roles more than in-person appearances in recent years, her occasional live-action characters prove she's still more than capable of traditional acting. I think I'd love it even more if Resident Alien season 4 didn't just bring Black into the fold, but also Ben Browder - who played John Crichton opposite Black's character throughout Farscape. The duo make the jump to the Stargate universe together, so I don't see why it couldn't happen again.

2 Laurence Fishburne

Best known for: The Matrix

Fishburne is another actor who seems to have made a conscious effort not to be restricted to sci-fi stories. That being said, despite his eclectic filmography, I find it impossible to look at him and not think of his performance as Morpheus in the Matrix franchise. The actor carries with him an effortless gravitas that could arguably make him a little too intense for a show like Resident Alien, but the show has proven to be very flexible with its tone.

Any character played by Fishburne in Resident Alien would surely be influenced by Morpheus in some way.

I would also find it fascinating to watch a traditionally serious actor like Fishburne share a scene with someone like Alan Tudyk as Harry Vanderspeigle. Any character played by Fishburne in Resident Alien would surely be influenced by Morpheus in some way, and watching him interact with an off-the-wall figure like Harry would be effortlessly hilarious for the disparity alone.

1 Katey Sagal

Best known for: Futurama

It can be very easy to forget that Katey Sagal is a long-serving sci-fi actor. Although her live-action roles steer clear of the genre, she's been part of the Futurama cast as Turanga Leela since the show began in 1999. Futurama sits somewhere in the same category as Resident Alien in that both can also don the label of absurdist comedy, so Sagal is well-practiced in how to deliver lines in a show like Resident Alien.

2:52 Related Resident Alien's Season 4 Villain Will Be Alan Tudyk's Biggest Challenge Since The Sci-Fi Comedy Began The bad guy introduced in the Resident Alien season 3 finale doesn't just impact the story but also Tudyk's role in the Syfy comedy show.

I've long been a fan of Katey Sagal's acting outside Futurama, but I'd love to see her in a live-action sci-fi show rather than just hearing her voice in the animated Matt Groening sitcom. While some viewers may not recognize Sagal as a sci-fi star at first glance in an episode of Resident Alien, the fact that she essentially lends her own, unaltered voice to Leela would send a few recognition circuits firing in the audience's brains when she opens her mouth.