Star Trek Had A Huge Star Wars Easter Egg - But It Was Cut

"Star Trek" and "Star Wars" are two of the best sci-fi franchises out there, and they're still going strong after all these years. As such, they are often compared to each other, and debates regarding which saga is better have informed pop culture discourse for decades. That said, what if both franchises were part of the same universe and people could embrace them equally?

That's probably never going to happen, but "Star Trek: The Next Generation" tried to make it so. A "Star Wars" Easter egg appeared in Season 2's "Up the Long Ladder" episode, according to Larry Nemecek's "Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion." The moment occurs when the HMS New Zealand ship is sent to a planet called Alderaan — you know, the same planet that is destroyed by the Death Star in "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope."

The planet isn't explicitly mentioned on TNG, but it could be spotted on computer screens. Unfortunately, the reference was removed for the Blu-ray release and replaced with the planet Aldebaran, ultimately debunking any notion that both sci-fi sagas are canonically linked. Still, the thought has led to some interesting fan conversations — and there are other references to the galaxy far, far away.

It seems that sneaky "Star Wars" homages were an in-joke for some "Star Trek" creators, as Alderaan briefly reappeared in another series. In the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Season 1 episode titled "A Man Alone," the planet crops up during the scene where Odo (René Auberjonois) checks Ibudan's (Stephen James Carver) calendar.

Meanwhile, other fans have pondered how the Federation would have reacted to the Galactic Republic's destruction of Alderaan. As Redditor u/TheBurgareanSlapper wrote, "If Alderaan is an Imperial planet, its destruction is a clear-cut case of an internal Empire affair and none of the Federation's business. The most the Federation Council may do is send a strongly worded letter to the Imperial Ambassador. Maybe."

Sadly, high-definition Blu-ray technology has ruined the idea that both franchises are canonically intertwined. That said, "Star Wars" and "E.T." might exist in the same universe, which is also an exciting notion.

If you enjoyed this article, read about the actors who've appeared in both "Star Trek" and "Star Wars."