Paramount+If you’re even the least bit interested in science fiction, you know Joe Morton. The star of the cult classic film The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Morton has starred in countless films in a variety of genres, but for sci-fi fans, he is perhaps best remembered for his role as Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson, the unwitting creator of Skynet in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992). “I told James Cameron the reason I wanted to do that piece was because of a Richard Pryor joke,” Morton tells Inverse. “That the reason that Black people either are not in science fiction or are killed right away is because Hollywood doesn't think we're going to be here in the future.”Outside of the dystopian future of Terminator, or his time as the father of Cyborg in Justice League, Morton has most recently beamed into the Final Frontier in an episode of Strange New Worlds Season 4, called “Orders of Magnitude.” Airing during the 60th anniversary of the entire Trek franchise, this episode delivers a classic premise, in which Jim Kirk (Paul Wesley) goes head-to-head with Admiral Reeger (Morton), as the Enterprise is sent on a mission that may have good intentions, but could also cross a serious line. As this crowd-pleasing episode has just aired, Inverse caught up with Morton to get his take on it becoming a part of Star Trek lore, his feelings about real AI versus Skynet, and the usefulness of science fiction as social allegory. Mild spoilers ahead.You’re such a science fiction legend. Did you feel like it was about time you got Star TrekWhen I was in college, I was a huge Star Trek fan. So, when the call came in, I didn’t think about it in terms of “it’s about time,” but when I was told I was going to be playing Admiral, and I would be sitting in the big chair, I said, “Yes, I’m doing this.” Admiral Reeger (Joe Morton) and James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) in Strange New Worlds: “Orders of Magnitude.” | Paramount+Reeger isn’t exactly a villain in this episode. But how did you internalize what was in the script?It’s always interesting to play a character who does the right thing, but for all the wrong reasons. And because underlying all of this, there are two things that were at play with him: One was that he'd lied about being the hero. And second, he had personal revenge in terms of getting this ship. So having those two things play inside me moved me to do this part.As a Star Trek fan, what was your feeling about playing scenes with James Kirk?Well, it reminded me that the thing about James Kirk — that we think about —is that he was always the one to break the rules. That's who James Kirk was. And so to have scenes with Jim Kirk — George Kirk's son — was really interesting. I had to actually perpetuate the lie in front of this kid and try to make him believe that his father was not good in combat.You have a lot of theater experience; do you think there’s something theatrical about Star Trek?I guess I hadn't really thought of it that way, but sure. I mean, when you're on the set, if you're on the bridge, that's a huge set with this enormous screen in front of you. And it does feel in that sense like you're on stage. The only other time I've ever felt like that was doing [the TV series] Scandal, only because I was doing monologues every week, and that really felt theatrical. But watching the show [Star Trek] — because I hadn't watched it for a long time — I guess what it manages to do is be television that’s adventurous without being melodramatic.StudioCanal/ShutterstockYour character in Terminator created Skynet; what are your feelings about AI today?It seems as if T2 was ahead of its time. That is about scientists who decide to create weapons of mass destruction for the sake of progress; for the authoritarian characters in the piece are the villains, they are the Terminators...I mean, I just watched somebody the other day; I guess he was an ex-researcher saying that AI could kill us; AI is dangerous. All I could think of was the monsters in T2. Do you think socially conscious science fiction like Star Trek can provide a check on those outcomes?I think that kind of science fiction is a nice way to make an analogy in terms of the world we actually live in. Brother from Another Planet is about workers and management, about those who are trying to make their way up. In Star Trek, that was a big deal with Uhura. Her name means freedom. So to have her on that show, to have Black presence on that show in 1966 was, I think, important. You're in Star Trek now. Could Reeger return?Oh, I’d love to return. I mean, I say to Kirk: “This will happen. You'll have to take responsibility for it.” And I say to Joseph [M’Benga], “I'm not going to forget you either.” So yeah, I hope I will be called back. When I watched it, I thought it would be great to come back.Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams on Paramount+.Phasers on Stun!: How the Making — and Remaking — of Star Trek Changed the WorldAmazon -