By Ethan Anderton/Feb. 9, 2016 8:00 am EST
In addition, Brent Spiner is one of the more surprising returning characters from the original movie, mostly because everyone had assumed the Area 51 scientist Dr. Okun was dead. And even though 20 years has passed, it doesn’t sound like he’s changed much over the years.
For anyone who assumed Dr. Okun was dead, Spiner emphatically confirms, “Well that was wrong! What a stupid assumption!” But if you’re looking for answers as to how Okun survived, there’s only one proposed theory from the actor, and that involves Vivica A. Fox’s character Jasmine, who is now a hospital administrator.
Beyond that, the actor doesn’t really give away much of what Okun’s role in the sequel will be other than the fact that he’s working with Jeff Goldblum as part of the Earth Space Defense initiative. But he does provide some insight into his character’s development when he says, “My character does not evolve, in terms of his brain. He’s stuck in the ’60s, and that’s a nice place to be.”
For more from both Spiner and Fox, you can check out the full Independence Day Resurgence interview with both of them right here:
Independence Day: Resurgence arrives on June 24. Be sure to check out our interviews with director Roland Emmerich and returning star Jeff Goldblum, and stay tuned for more interviews with the rest of the cast very soon.
We always knew they were coming back. After “Independence Day” redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.
