The Only Stargate Project That Doesn’t Feature Daniel Jackson

In Roland Emmerich’s “Stargate,” Egyptologist and linguist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is invited to decipher markings on a portal-like device known as a Stargate. Daniel succeeds in cracking the code and pinpoints a destination in a distant galaxy, where he travels alongside a special task force led by Colonel Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell). When an eerie turn of events leaves the crew trapped on the desert planet of Abydos, Daniel leverages his extensive knowledge to shift the odds in their favor. While Colonel O’Neil handles matters involving physical combat, Daniel demonstrates incredible bravery by protecting the world’s local populace and eliminating the threat once and for all.

This would be the only version of Spader’s Daniel to exist on the big screen, as the original plan to make a “Stargate” movie trilogy did not come to pass. However, this wasn’t the end of “Stargate” as a franchise; if anything, it was a new opportunity to expand such a thrilling sci-fi property into a long-form series format. Enter “Stargate SG-1,” which ran for 10 seasons and did most of the heavy lifting to garner overwhelming love for such a unique futuristic premise. The Daniel character is an integral part of the SG-1 crew, with Michael Shanks embodying the quietly strong and brilliant linguist. As none of the original actors from Emmerich’s film reprised their roles in any of the sequel series (“SG-1” included), Richard Dean Anderson played a modified version of Russell’s character in the show. (The character’s last name is spelled O’Neill with an extra “L” to mark the distinction.)

Although the Colonel guides the SG-1 crew across the galaxy, Daniel is easily the beating heart of the series. Boasting expertise in myriad fields including archeology and anthropology, Daniel helps the team evade sticky situations on more than one occasion and is often described as someone empathetic to a fault. Shanks continued playing Daniel in the “SG-1” sequel show “Stargate Atlantis” (where the character only appears in three episodes) in addition to reprising the role in the direct-to-video films “Stargate: Continuum” and “Stargate: The Ark of Truth.” He also guest-starred as Daniel in the tonally-distinct yet short-lived series “Stargate Universe.” 

There is, however, one canonical “Stargate” project that doesn’t feature the Daniel Jackson character at all.

The long-standing success of “Stargate SG-1” prompted the development of several spin-offs and prequels over the years. Their ranks include the web miniseries “Stargate Origins,” the events of which take place in 1939, decades before the Abydos incident in 1994’s “Stargate.” (Naturally, this prequel series doesn’t feature Daniel Jackson.) In 2018, Eric Lewald and Michael Maliani also created “Stargate Infinity,” an unofficial animated spin-off to “SG-1” (meaning it is not considered canon to the greater “Stargate” continuity).

While “Infinity” tried to appeal to “Stargate” fans by telling a brand new story, it failed to make an impact without the legacy characters that made the property worthwhile to begin with. Since “Infinity” focuses on a fresh group of recruits working at Stargate Command, Daniel Jackson does not factor into the plot at all. Moreover, the show’s storytelling is just … aggressively subpar on every front, lacking the high-octane, morally complex stakes that “Stargate” is known for. Unsurprisingly, the series was canceled after a single season due to budgetary issues and low viewership.

We should also talk about Shanks’ Daniel, as this version of the character has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions across the galaxy, “died” terrible deaths just to come back alive, and suffered tragic fates in alternate timelines. There’s even an episode in “SG-1” Season 5 where Daniel is brutally killed off after being exposed to radiation. However, in a baffling twist, he then ascends to a higher plane of existence for seemingly no reason. This particular plot point is head-scratching enough to make you wonder if something was going on behind the scenes; sure enough, it was eventually revealed that Shanks exited “SG-1” for a season over creative disagreements.

In time, though, Shanks returned in “SG-1” Season 6 and appeared in a handful of episodes, ultimately reprising his role as a permanent SG-1 crew member from Season 7 onwards. This should have created massive narrative gaps, but “SG-1” effortlessly avoids this by granting Daniel a riveting comeback arc, reinforcing his importance to the greater “Stargate” lore.