Star Trek: Strange New Worlds just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, but the fun doesn't stop there. That's what stars Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount believe, anyway, as the two stars and childhood fans of the franchise have me convinced we'll be watching new franchise entries via Paramount+ subscription before too long.

Before Rebecca Romijn moves on to reprise her role as Mystique in the Marvel universe, I had a chance to speak to her and Mount ahead of the Season 4 premiere of Strange New Worlds, which is currently streaming on Paramount+. When I asked the stars whether they could say anything to ease the minds of fans worried about what's next for Star Trek, seeing as no shows are in active development, she said this:

In no way does she sound worried about the future of Star Trek, and feels confident it'll still be around years from now, and as she mentioned above, it'll continue to be relevant to new generations.

Anson Mount agreed, and dropped a fact that blew my mind in the process. He couldn't claim it as his own, but I appreciated him passing it along during the interview all the same:

Translation: Star Trek is as American as apple pie. Perhaps more so, because apple pie actually originated in England. I guess the math does check out that if America is celebrating its 250th birthday, and Trek its 60th, that is somewhere in the ballpark of 25%.

Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount's thoughts echo those of other prominent names of Star Trek, many of whom don't believe it will ever fully go away. I tend to agree, especially with Paramount still making efforts to bring it back to the big screen with a movie on the big screen.

Star Trek will continue, but I think there are solid fears from fans about how it will continue. How long will fans have to wait for a new television series, and who will be put in charge of making it happen? As it stands, it seems the company is ready to move on from Alex Kurtzman running its television department, leaving the door open for fresh blood to take the reins. Kurtzman did tell CinemaBlend a while back that fans shouldn't fear this transition period, merely because there's just so much Paramount has to tackle to complete its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

All this to say, it doesn't sound like anyone in charge is worried about Star Trek ending. So we'll continue to play the waiting game and remain optimistic that positive updates on the franchise are on the way. Beyond that, watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 on Paramount+ with new episodes streaming on Thursdays!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 4 return amid the 2026 TV schedule is just around the corner, and I've been excited for a while. However, comments from series co-creator Akiva Goldsman already have me nervous for the fifth and final season's run. The producer spoke about the ending of the beloved series and shed some light on the plan that he and the creative team have in place.

Goldsman spoke to TV Insider about charting out Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' endgame, which track with what he told CinemaBlend about SNW about his goals for the finale. The goal is for the series finale to bring us right up to Kirk's first day as Captain of the Enterprise, which means the final season will need to take care of some other things first. He explained below:

It's not anything unexpected, considering we've learned Sulu and Bones have been cast for the final season. However, I do have concerns. Namely, I worry about what this means for the final season and whether this specific direction will lead to the final episodes feeling drastically different from the rest of the series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has A Lot To Tackle (And Not A Lot Of Time Left To Do It)

Assuming that Season 4 doesn't get a jumpstart on writing off its characters that aren't around in the original Star Trek, Strange New Worlds is going to spend a lot of time handling that in its abbreviated season. There will only be six episodes in Season 5, as that was the number co-creators Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers told Paramount+ they needed to close out the show after Season 4.

I worry that's a tight window to work out all the changes needed to make the bridge look like Kirk's Enterprise. But, presumably, the co-creators had a plan.

Will The Need To Resolve Storylines Hurt The Flow Of The Series?

Something Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has thrived on since its debut is great way it balances its characters' story arcs with the "adventure of the week" format. Now, based on what I'm hearing, it almost feels necessary for the series to adapt heavier serialization in order to get to the point where it can set up Kirk's first day on the Enterprise.

It's important to me that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has a great final season because, quite frankly, a bad final stretch has tainted the legacy of many shows (Trek or otherwise). Let's not forget that when people bring up Enterprise, one of the main elements talked about is how bad the ending is.

If SNW's final season feels like too much of a deviation from what worked before, I fear people will feel like it's less than everything that came before. Granted, the series hasn't steered fans wrong so far, and Season 4 has been largely acclaimed by the cast, who say it's among the best of the series. Whatever was filmed, the series is already wrapped for good, so I guess I just need to have faith (of the heart) that the final season won't be too far off course from what we've seen.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to television on Thursday, July 23rd. Tune in to see Captain Pike's crew take on some new adventures and tackle a wild scenario in its Season 4 premiere.

Star Trek fans are hoping for some big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con regarding what's ahead for the franchise, as we're not sure what's on tap after the 2026 TV schedule wraps up. It's the 60th anniversary, after all, and while there are things planned for the upcoming Hall H panel, I wouldn't hold my breath for anything big.

Fortunately, we have Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returning for those with a Paramount+ subscription ahead of the convention, and the cast will be at the event. There are also some familiar faces set to appear, but I remain skeptical that any of it amounts to a new series or footage of a movie that is just around the corner.

What Star Trek Has Announced For Its Hall H Panel

Star Trek is planning to take the iconic Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25th, at 3:30 p.m. ET. It's been announced by Variety and others that a Strange New Worlds panel will take place, featuring the bulk of the cast. After that, there will be a 60th anniversary celebration panel, with a list of attendees already lined up.

Star Trek' Hall H Panel Guests

• Rod Roddenberry (EP and son of Creator Gene Roddenberry)
• Michael Dorn (TNG, DS9, Picard)
• Robert Picardo (VOY, Prodigy, Starfleet Academy)
• Connor Trinneer (Enterprise)
• Cirroc Lofton (DS9, Starfleet Academy)
• Doug Jones (Discovery)
• Michelle Hurd (Picard)
• Jerry O’Connell (Lower Decks)
• Christina Chong (Strange New Worlds)
• Karim Diané (Starfleet Academy)
• George Takei (TOS)

It's a great lineup of people, and I'm happy to see Star Trek: Starfleet Academy get some representation despite its quick cancellation. I'm sure it'll be a great panel, but will it result in a new series or movie announcement? Again, I'm skeptical.

Why I'd Be Shocked If We Get A Movie Or TV Show Announcement

A panel celebrating Star Trek is great, but nothing about that lineup suggests to me we'll be getting a new scripted series or an update on the upcoming movie being developed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. I could see something being announced in line with a retrospective look at the franchise or a documentary, but nothing beyond that.

Star Trek seems to be in a holding pattern, and with shows planned through 2027 and franchise head Alex Kurtzman's contract set to expire at the end of the year, it doesn't seem Paramount+ is in a hurry to announce anything else. It feels as though the franchise is prepping to bring a new face to guide Trek into a new era, though that has not been explicitly confirmed.

As Jonathan Frakes and others have pointed out, it's a bummer that the 60th anniversary of Star Trek has come and gone with so little fanfare. Here's hoping I have it wrong about the upcoming panel at San Diego Comic-Con, or possibly New York Comic-Con is going to yield some more details about what to look forward to when it comes to the future.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 23rd. Get hyped for the upcoming episodes, especially since we don't know when we'll get new episodes of any Trek series after it wraps.

The Star Trek franchise is well known for bringing back franchise veterans, and it seems that may now be the case with one of its actors. A Star Trek: Discovery star seemingly shared that he might be returning to a series soon, only to delete the post from social media quickly. More specifically, it looked like James Frain jumped the gun a bit when hinting that his Sarek could be returning, and the moment is made even more iconic due to the caption shared with the post.

Frain, who played Spock's father and Michael Burnham's adopted father in Discovery, dropped a picture of himself in full Vulcan makeup on Instagram. As previously mentioned, though, the post didn't stay up long. Fortunately, I was able to get a look at it before it was taken down and can share the caption that Frain attached to the selfie of himself as Sarek:

The timing comes just as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to debut Season 4 on the 2026 TV schedule, though none of the footage released so far has shown Sarek. That said, it's not wild to think he'd make an appearance, given that Spock is on the Enterprise and has had a few adventures involving family throughout his time on the series.

If Sarek doesn't pop up in Season 4, fans should also consider that filming wrapped on Season 5 in late 2025. Based on what James Frain said, maybe he was hinting that he was featured in the final season, and I would love that. What if this means we're finally getting the payoff to the storyline with Angel, which soft-launched Spock's eventual showdown with his half-brother Sybok?

While we know Sybok and Spock cross paths in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, the character was mentioned after the Enterprise crew encountered his romantic partner, Angel. It seemed like the show was setting something up but, as of the end of Season 3, there's been no closure on that front.

There's also other ground to tread with Spock and Sarek, as Star Trek has shown throughout its history. Sarek disapproved of his son joining Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy and, while they would later reconcile, they often butted heads due to Sarek's more Vulcan mindset.

The father and son never really had a heartfelt exchange in an episode until The Next Generation episode "Final Days," which is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. In the episode, Spock is able to visit his father on his deathbed, and the two have a long overdue discussion about their feelings for one another. It's a heavy episode, especially considering Vulcans suppress their emotions.

As for other ways Sarek could reappear, I suppose it's possible he's featured in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as a hologram, or there's some secret project from the franchise that's on the way. I don't think the latter is in the cards, but I guess if it is, maybe we'll find out at one of the upcoming Comic Cons in San Diego or New York. In any case, I'm excited about the prospect of James Frain's Sarek returning.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres on Paramount+ on July 23rd. We'll have to wait and see if Sarek pops up but, in the meantime, I'm just happy to have new Trek to watch after a long hiatus in programming.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is switching up things with James T. Kirk's character, but fans can lower their phasers because this sounds like a great change. With Season 4 set to stream for those with a Paramount+ subscription on July 23rd, I was surprised to learn that we'll get an appearance by a Wrath of Khan character I didn't see coming.

David Marcus, Kirk's son, will appear in Strange New Worlds Season 4, as revealed by SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend in its cover interview. Henry Alonso Myers revealed the writing team wanted to do an episode that will show Kirk as a father to a younger David. He talked about the reason for the episode, hoping to add to, rather than retcon, the story of Kirk's son:

David Marcus was the love-child of Kirk and Dr. Carol Marcus, both of whom only occasionally saw each other due to their long-distance and on-and-off relationship. Rather than invite the implication that Kirk didn't really have a role in David's life until he was an adult, he was killed off in the third Star Trek movie, so we get robbed of a ton of father/son time.

So, when it comes to Strange New Worlds, what they're doing is not a retcon; instead, it's giving attention to something that the original series hadn't tackled during its run. Let's be real, Star Trek already has a history of showcasing imperfect fathers, with characters like Worf never getting to fully redeem their shortcomings as a dad. That won't happen with Kirk, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will supplement what we know about him as a dad with more in this upcoming episode:

The goal of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was always to talk about what came before Kirk's captaincy on the Enterprise. While there's questions of whether Paramount+ would consider announcing a sequel to the series before the 2026 TV schedule ends is still up in the air, I think episodes like this could ultimately help show fans and executives why such a show should exist.

In that, Star Trek: Year One, or whatever it is eventually called, will never actually replace the original series. At the same time, it can strengthen and modernize it by introducing story arcs that help connect the dots for certain things shows made in the '60s weren't as focused on.

In addition to that, Strange New Worlds has plans to show us dinosaurs and an episode in which the crew is turned into puppets. Honestly, I'm just thrilled they're finding ways to give us something abstract and fun, while adding more emotional beats as well. The premiere can't get here soon enough!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is coming to Paramount+ starting on July 23rd. I can't wait for the new episodes, even if it moves us one step closer to the abbreviated final season.

It's been months since the rumor first cropped up that Patrick Stewart was retiring from acting following the release of Avengers: Doomsday. Now we're finally hearing from the actor, and it appears that whether he announced his retirement or not on the set of the upcoming Marvel movie, he's not planning on hanging it up.

Stewart spoke to TVInsider about a litany of topics, and eventually the topic of his rumored retirement came up. The actor clarified where things stand with his career, suggesting that it's not so much retirement as it is a lack of available roles:

It's totally understandable that Hollywood only has so many roles for the 85-year-old English actor. This is especially true when the franchise that helped bring him to prominence, Star Trek, is not currently producing any shows.

I'm not surprised to hear Patrick Stewart is not retired after all, as he has a track record of jumping the gun with statements. It's unclear if he actually said that on the set of Avengers: Doomsday, but he also very publicly said he'd never play Professor X again almost a decade ago. Now he's going to reprise the role in the biggest blockbuster on the upcoming 2026 movie schedule.

Of course, it's not like I expect to see Stewart suddenly cropping up all around Hollywood and starring in a lot of movies, but it's good to know the possibility is still there. I'm sure there are plenty of other voice acting roles he can still do without the stress of having to be on the set of a show or movie.

It's always difficult as a fan when actors reach an older age. Part of me is already plotting out his next Star Trek appearance, but at the same time, who knows what Patrick Stewart wants to do? The three seasons of Picard were supposed to be his farewell to the franchise. The last thing I want to do is prod him into continued appearances if he's not into the idea, or content with what he has coming his way at the minute.

In any case, it's nice to dream. And now that we know he's still taking jobs, we can do just that. As much as I preach about tempering expectations, I'm already envisioning him on the Enterprise once again, having one final adventure as Jean-Luc Picard with the entire crew.

Fans can see Patrick Stewart in Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th. I'll be thrilled to see him and all the other cast members in this adventure, in which I think their characters have met their match when it comes to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Star Trek is known for bringing back notable characters in some form or another, and I'm excited that another is poised to reappear. Jake Sisko is returning to Trek, though we won't see Cirroc Lofton's character appear on a show airing amid the 2026 TV schedule. Sisko is returning by way of a novel, and I'm hopeful that after his surprise appearance in a Season 1 episode of Starfleet Academy, we'll get some additional context on an aspect of Jake's personal history.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Peacemakers is now available to pre-order on Amazon and, if you're someone who still watches Benjamin Sisko and the gang deal with drama on the promenade, you'll want to pick it up. Sure, it's not a series we can stream with a Paramount+ subscription, but it could give us some additional context on something Jake said in regard to his father during my favorite Starfleet Academy episode.

What Is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Peacemakers About?

The Peacemakers hails from prolific Trek author Una McCormack and follows Jake Sisko five years after the Dominion War. In an attempt to escape everyone from Starfleet intelligence to the Bajoran people, he accepts an invitation to attend an arts festival on Cardassia Prime. Strange events soon start to occur and, with death surrounding him, he's thrust into an adventure.

It's an adventure I'd love to see play out in a limited series, but with no active Star Trek shows in development, I'll settle for this. Jake is a great character, and I'm as amped to see him return as I was to see Wesley Crusher in his own novel.

What Jake Sisko Says About His Father In Starfleet Academy

As mentioned, this upcoming novel has the opportunity to address something we learned from Jake Sisko in the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode, "Series Acclimation Mil." In the episode, SAM does a deep dive into the life of Benjamin Sisko, finding similarities between his responsibilities as an emissary of the Prophets and her being an emissary to her homeworld of Kasq.

Ultimately, SAM becomes convinced that if she can find definitive answers to what became of Benjamin Sisko and whether he was dead or alive following the Dominion Wars, she can justify her attending Starfleet Academy to the people of Kasq. She ends up speaking to a hologram of Jake Sisko, who tells her that his father was "around" after the war but cannot provide her with definitive proof that he was.

This opens the door for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Peacemakers to explain how Jake felt Benjamin's presence in his life, even if he didn't physically appear to his son after the end of the series. I would love if this book has a moment in which there's some supernatural event or unexplained phenomenon that backs up what Jake said to SAM. I have a feeling there will be, but I guess we'll just have to wait and read!

Unfortunately, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was canceled, though Season 2 is still expected to stream on Paramount+ in 2027. I'm excited for more episodes as well as this new adventure with Jake Sisko!

The late Roger Ebert is one of the film industry's most notable critics, and while he's no longer with us, many of his opinions live on via the internet. We're all familiar with the classic movies he hated, and that he had some occasionally radical opinions, such as his radical distaste for fandoms and the role they hold in Hollywood.

While I hold reverence for Ebert and the road he paved as much as other past critics, I have to say I was shocked by this quote from his book, A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length: More Movies That Suck, traveling the internet. In it, he goes on a rant that serves as a takedown of fandom culture, and doesn't mince words on how he feels about it. Read it below:

It's pretty rough stuff to read, especially if you're someone excited about upcoming Star Wars movies or bummed about the lack of new shows on the way for Star Trek. I find myself in both of those categories, and as a proud member of many fandoms, I have to talk about my problems with what Roger Ebert said so long ago.

Fandoms Are Not Full Of "Socially Inept" People

Roger Ebert made a lot of generalizations about fandoms, and I think the rudest is calling people who are dedicated fans "socially inept." Speaking personally, some of the biggest Star Trek fans I know are not only plenty capable of talking about things outside of it, but they've also managed to turn that fandom into a career.

In fact, many of Star Trek's recent showrunners, like Mike McMahan, started out as fans, and they used their encyclopedic knowledge of The Next Generation and other shows to pay homage to them or even come up with new ways to enjoy them. Some of them even became actors on the series, like Tawny Newsome. Go to one of her panels, and you'll realize she's forgotten more Trek knowledge than you may know.

These are just high-level examples, and say nothing to scores of fans I've met over the years who thrived in their job fields as engineers, scientists, doctors, or content creators. To generalize "fandoms" as nothing but a place for social outcasts to amass and spew facts at each other is not only rude, it's widely incorrect in my opinion. Fans across all across the human spectrum, which is part of what makes it so special.

Roger Ebert Forgets The Personal Attachment Many Have To Fandoms

Another thing Roger Ebert fails to understand about fandoms is that an intense love of any franchise can often start from an earnest place. Maybe we love a particular show or movie because we watched it with a loved one, or we experienced it through a particularly remarkable time in our lives. Entertainment can be therapeutic or comforting, and in those moments a fandom is born.

The way Ebert talks about it, it's like a person who is effectively a blank slate found a show and used it to shield the world from just how boring they were. Again, that's very rarely the case, and sounds like a comment from someone who was never really a part of one. Had he actually participated in a fandom, I think he might feel differently, but I guess we'll never know.

All this to say, I still admire Roger Ebert, and his right to have an opinion that still makes people feel things even from beyond the grave. Even if I think his opinion is wrong, I have to respect that!

With the news of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's cancellation dominating the first half of the 2026 TV schedule, some might've forgotten it still has another season on the way. Season 2 will air sometime in 2027 for those with a Paramount+ subscription, and while we wait on that, star Robert Picardo shared a hopeful wish for the series' future.

Picardo was recently doing some post-production work on Season 2, and hyped up anyone waiting on these episodes when they drop. While it's bittersweet that there are only so many episodes left, I'm in my feels to hear how proud he is of them. Check out his message he posted on X alongside a BTS image:

When CinemaBlend talked to Robert Picardo back in 2025, asking if he believed Paramount+'s merger with Skydance would impact Starfleet Academy, he felt positive that it wouldn't. Now, as another merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is imminent, and the franchise's future looks more uncertain than ever, I can't help but be bummed out that he seems less sure in his latest comments.

On the flip side, I'm happy that he feels proud of the work he and the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy put in on Season 2, and hopes it will impact the future of the franchise going forward. At a time when no active Trek shows are in development, I think it's important for fans and stars to stay clear about what they want when it comes to any potential return.

It's a question many will have to figure out following Starfleet Academy's cancellation, which promised a lot of original stories and new developments in the Star Trek universe. Unfortunately, some fans preferred sticking to the past, with Picard Season 3 and Strange New Worlds seeing some of the best viewership numbers of this new era.

It's clear nostalgia resonates with a large number of Star Trek fans, but we've also heard Paramount fears the fandom is dying. The franchise is stuck between a rock and a hard place, in which it needs a show that will serve as an entry point for new fans, but will also be embraced by the existing fandom.

If the answers for how to solve this problem were simple, I don't think Paramount would've let one of its most-revered franchises get in this position. Unfortunately, it's in a jam, and while we're seeing plans for Trek to go back to theaters, we're left twiddling our thumbs and wondering what's next on the television side.

Until then, we still have Star Trek left to enjoy over on Paramount+. As mentioned, Starfleet Academy will likely return in 2027, and I can't wait to see how the final season plays out.

Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are talking about missed opportunities ahead of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's bumming me out. Not long after revealing they were close to getting William Shatner in the series, we're now hearing the fabled Doctor Who crossover was also close to happening.

While both shows nodded at each other in recent years, Goldsman recently told AwardsRadar during an interview that he was actively working with recently departed Who showrunner Russell T. Davies on making the crossover a reality. Here's what he said:

As a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek who loves the new era of both, this is just another gut punch. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already wrapped filming on its final season, and Doctor Who is on indefinite hiatus for the time being. We were so close to having The Doctor on the Enterprise in live-action, and now we're presumably back to square one and may never see it happen. That situation could change a year or two from now, but as it stands, it feels there's no chance.

Of course, I say live-action crossover because we've seen The Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard cross paths in comic books thanks to IDW Publishing's crossover. I should also point out that in addition to Pelia's mention of traveling with The Doctor in Strange New Worlds, the series also showcased the TARDIS in a background shot of a Season 3 episode.

As for Doctor Who, The Doctor implied to companion Ruby Sunday that Starfleet is a real organization when she likened his technology to something out of Star Trek. It had me jazzed back then and hoping I'd stream a crossover one day with my Paramount+ subscription, but it just wasn't fated to be. Here's hoping both franchises find a way to cross paths again down the line, and it's all we hoped for and more.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres on Paramount+ on July 23rd. As for Doctor Who, we're not sure when we can expect to see the series return, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes we don't have to wait too long.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds dropped a trailer ahead of its return on the 2026 TV schedule, and we got a better look at what to expect in Season 4. I also got a reason to believe that a spinoff fans really want should happen. So, after seeing more of the dinosaur and other exciting moments, I need to talk about a simple scene between James T. Kirk and Spock that made me confident a spinoff is a good idea.

While we still have one more season of Strange New Worlds to enjoy with a Paramount+ subscription after Season 4 wraps, there are no in-development shows on the horizon. There is, however, a pitch from the showrunners to do a spinoff centered around Paul Wesley's Kirk as head of the Enterprise, and I'm officially sold on the idea after seeing he and Peck's Spock gel in the latest trailer, which you can see below.

Paul Wesley And Ethan Peck's Moment In The Season 4 Trailer Sold Me On The Year One Spinoff

Spock and Kirk have had some moments on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but this show isn't really about their relationship. We've seen stronger interactions between Spock and Captain Pike, which makes sense, considering that it's necessary to explain why Spock risked his Starfleet career and life to deliver the incapacitated Pike to Talos IV in the original series episode "The Menagerie."

Star Trek: Year One would be where we'd see Spock and Kirk properly form their brotherhood, which was made iconic thanks to the chemistry Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner had on the original series. I wasn't confident Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck could have that same dynamic, but after seeing Kirk tease Spock with the following line, I think they can pull it off:

The line itself is the work of writers, but it's the delivery between the two that sells it. Paul Wesley shines with some classic dry sarcasm that walks the line between teasing Spock, while Ethan Peck remains stoic-faced. However, it feels so clear that there's a small part of Spock that is both amused and "fascinated" by his Starfleet colleague. These guys get it, and I need more of that in a spinoff, should Paramount+ decide to move forward with one.

What Is Star Trek: Year One?

At its core, Star Trek: Year One is meant to be the early days of Kirk serving as Captain on the Enterprise, after Pike accepts his promotion and hands over his command. This would further bridge the gap between Strange New Worlds and the original series, showcasing how the bridge crew grew into their older and more experienced selves.

The argument for Star Trek: Year One being greenlit is simple. The Enterprise sets for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can be recycled for the spinoff, and SNW is doing the heavy lifting in setting it up by bringing in characters like Sulu, McCoy, and others who aren't currently on the show.

While Anson Mount and other stars of SNW would appear sparingly or not at all, the spinoff already has its most important roles cast. With the bridge crew largely in tow and showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman campaigning for the spinoff, one would think the decision would be easy for Paramount+ given the series' success.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery could present some shakeups for all IPs on both sides, including Star Trek. With Strange New Worlds ending, Starfleet Academy canceled, and Alex Kurtzman's contract with the franchise set to expire at the end of the year, it feels like Paramount+ is leaning toward shaking things up with a new creative, rather than continuing the latest era of Star Trek television. If that's the case, it's hard to imagine the Year One spinoff happening, but we'll just have to wait and see.

For now, we just need to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 when it premieres on Thursday, July 23rd, and remain optimistic that there is a plan for the franchise when it comes to streaming. If a Kirk-led spinoff isn't on the table, then I'm even more bummed that Strange New Worlds wasn't able to make that William Shatner cameo happen.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is returning to the 2026 TV schedule in July, but understandably, its fans are looking ahead to the future. With filming on the final season already wrapped, there's curiosity as to whether the proposed spinoff starring Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk will happen. Wesley recently shared the latest, though it seems there's not a whole lot of progress on that front.

The spinoff, codenamed Star Trek: Year One, was advertised as a soft reboot to the original Star Trek series that would depict the early years of the Enterprise bridge crew under Kirk's command. Wesley was asked about it during the FanX Comic Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana (via Collider), and the actor, who's wrapped his time on Strange New Worlds:, cracked a joke about Paramount+, saying:

That's a kind and non-confrontational way of stating what Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes mentioned a while back: there are no Star Trek shows in active development at this time. As such, there's nothing for him to say when it comes to the existence of Star Trek: Year One, and there may be no new show announcements for a while.

If there's any good news, it's that Paul Wesley remains as committed to returning as James T. Kirk for a spinoff as he was when CinemaBlend asked him about it back in 2023. He's ready to make a spinoff happen, but it's going to require Paramount+ to give it the green light first:

Who knows when or if that call will come, as Paramount is still in the midst of finalizing its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. While there are plans for Star Trek to return to theaters, it seems as though we're in a holding pattern with television, with Paramount+ potentially waiting for the end of Alex Kurtzman's contract to pick the next person to lead Star Trek's next era of television.

Additionally, Paramount+ has a window of time before it's without Star Trek content on the streaming side. Strange New Worlds Season 4 is out this year, and then 2027 will presumably bring the final season as well as Season 2 of the already-cancelled Starfleet Academy. It could be a minute before we find out what's next for Star Trek, but hopefully, we'll get some answers sooner rather than later.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns with Season 4 on Thursday, July 23rd. Thus far, we've had no real indicator one way or another that there will be big announcements about new shows before the year is up, but if there are, fingers crossed Paul Wesley is involved.

Right now, Star Trek fans have to do a bit of waiting for a new series to hit the 2026 TV schedule. All the while, though, they're now being treated to some big news. In a shocking turn of events, a character from The Next Generation is returning in a pretty unexpected way. Michelle Forbes will reprise her role as Ro Laren in a video game that promises to go full horror, and I'm beyond pumped!

A trailer dropped for Star Trek: Shadow Frontier this weekend, and it shows Ro making her way through a spooky and foreboding planet. Meanwhile, a voice can be heard speaking to her and, by the end of it all, I had full-on chills. Check out the teaser for the game, which is set to be released on all major gaming platforms:

Star Trek: The Next Generation has plenty of WTF moments, but nothing quite as scary as this! I just have so many questions. For example, why is Ro by herself, and whose mysterious voice is that? We only know a bit so far, but I'm intrigued by what I've learned.

What Is Star Trek: Shadow Frontier About?

While Ro Laren made her Star Trek debut in The Next Generation, fans saw her return in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. Based on the official plot description for Shadow Frontier, I'm willing to bet this game takes place closer to Ro's Picard appearance than TNG, and the story sounds great:

The game is a collaboration between Paramount Games and Bloober Team, the latter of which is known for making high-quality psychological horror games. Anyone familiar with Layers of Fear, the newest Silent Hill games or Cronos: The New Dawn can probably tell any of the uninitiated that this Trek game is in good hands.

Who Is Ro Laren?

For those who need a refresher, Ro Laren is a celebrated character in Star Trek, best known for her arc in The Next Generation, in which she defects to The Maquis during a deep-cover mission for Starfleet. Anyone who used a Paramount+ subscription to check out Picard's final season learned that Laren was later captured, rehabilitate, and put back to work for Starfleet, and it seems this is where her story picks up.

I think the biggest question is regarding whether there will be cameos from other notable Star Trek characters, seeing as Ro interacted with Jean-Luc Picard quite a bit in her TV appearances. Patrick Stewart did mention something a long time ago about reading a script tied to Picard but, at the time, many assumed it was for a movie or series. Could he be lending his voice to the game for a quick cameo? We'll have to wait and see.

Even if that isn't in the cards, I'm thrilled for some positive Star Trek news after the wave of cancellations and the current situation in which there are no active shows in development. Fortunately, it appears things are looking up and, hopefully, Shadow Frontier will be released soon. That way, fans can celebrate the franchise's 60th anniversary with a quality horror game.

Keep an eye out for more updates on Star Trek: Shadow Frontier, and watch old episodes of The Next Generation over on Paramount+. I'm still in shock that we're actually getting a game in which Ro Laren is the star, and I hope we get similar games with other more obscure characters taking center stage!

When news broke that Amazon moved on from the Stargate project it announced last year, I was only mildly surprised. I was even less surprised when I heard the alleged reason was due to its concept, which was deemed something that could only appeal to dedicated fans and not a wider audience. That's because I think this cancellation points to a larger problem that's seemingly impacting a lot of major sci-fi franchises.

The 2026 TV schedule has been brutal for fans of sci-fi television, as Star Trek has zero shows in active production, Doctor Who will reportedly cancel its Christmas special, and The Mandalorian and Grogu is struggling to fight off being overtaken by a horror movie at the box office. Legacy sci-fi franchises are going through it right now, and there are some common threads between all these situations that I think creatives need to figure out quickly.

Core Fandom Support Is Seemingly Not Enough To Make A Show Successful Anymore

One thing all these franchises have in common is their ties to streaming, and it seems the messaging is clear. While there may once have been a time when a franchise's fandom could support a series on its own, those days are gone. I've theorized that different generations of fans with different beliefs have segmented fandoms and made it difficult to unify what they all want in a series.

A simpler expectation is that older fans are dying, and one Star Trek actor confirmed as much. I guess it makes sense, as some of these franchises reach the 60-year mark and beyond that a few would be lost along the way or simply fall off. Then limiting access to streaming subscriptions feels like it further sections off who can watch, with the bottom line seemingly being that executives aren't keen on relying on the small population of fans who will stream.

Changing A Treasured Franchise Is Not The Key To Success Either

It is frustrating to hear that Amazon allegedly passed on Stargate because it felt too niche and not something that appealed to a wider audience. While I don't know anything about the plot, I do know the person responsible for it, Martin Gero, made the revival of Quantum Leap. That probably landed him the job with Stargate, because he did about as good a job as possible at creating a revival that honored the original show while still being accessible to casuals.

We've also seen plenty of shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Wars: The Mandalorian strive to prove there is a way to walk the tightrope between serving fans and the masses.

However, it sounds to me as though Amazon is seeking someone to take the concept of Stargate and make it something new, and if that's the new corporate playbook for success, I'm worried for the rest of the legacy sci-fi franchises.

We'll see what becomes of Stargate as Amazon reportedly looks for someone else to bring the franchise back to life. As for the rest, we may hear more on Star Trek and Doctor Who when San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, and I'm hoping we'll finally see some good news.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' staff attempted to get William Shatner back as Captain Kirk, but they weren't able to make it happen before filming the final season. Now, as the series prepares for Season 4's debut on the 2026 TV schedule, we're hearing about the massive cameo they tried and failed to get.

Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman and EP Alex Kurtzman talked to Polygon about the idea and how they quietly worked for years to try and get Shatner to return to Star Trek. With the series wrapped and Shatner revealing elsewhere he'd been in contact with the show about appearing, they pulled back the curtain on the plan they had to bring the 95-year-old actor back as Captain Kirk. I love the idea, and am a little upset we didn't get to see this happen.

William Shatner Would've Reprised His Role As James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, But As An Alternate Version

Bringing back William Shatner as James T. Kirk, especially at the actor's current age, presented a challenge. Akiva Goldsman had a pitch, however, and wanted to do an episode centered around an alternate version of Kirk that would be linked to the classic Star Trek episode, "The City On The Edge Of Forever."

In the original story, McCoy inadvertently destroys the timeline whilst visiting the past under the influence of a drug. Kirk and Spock follow McCoy back to the past, trying to figure out what he did that forever altered the course of history. Whilst there, he falls in love with Keeler (played by Joan Collins), only to learn that McCoy's saving her from a deadly accident is what ruined their timeline. Kirk is forced to allow the accident to happen, thus restoring the timeline.

In this new potential story, rather than return to his adventures, this version of Captain Kirk would stay behind in Depression-era New York to live out his days with the new love of his life, Edith Keeler. Obviously, the details are thin because the idea never fully came together, but I'm sure it would've been great had they gotten a chance to work on it fully.

What Alex Kurtzman Had To Say About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Missing Out On Including William Shatner

It's a cool pitch, but I imagine the logistics of pulling a script together in a way that didn't rebreak the Star Trek timeline were too hard to navigate. Alex Kurtzman seemed to agree it was sad that bringing back William Shatner and other scrapped ideas didn't happen, but believed it was ultimately inevitable:

As psyched as I am to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 4 and 5 with my Paramount+ subscription, I can't help but be a bit bummed by what Kurtzman said. If there are tons of ideas that were left on the table, it makes me more eager to see more adventures. In fairness, that may be the point, considering Akiva Goldsman has petitioned for a spinoff of Strange New Worlds prior to this.

Unfortunately, we've known for a while that the days of hundred-episode Star Trek shows are over. Five seasons for a streaming series is considered an impressive metric, and with ten-episode orders becoming more commonplace, it's inevitable that ideas will be left on the table in the writers' room.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres over on Paramount+ on July 23rd. William Shatner may not be in it, but with all the incoming crew members joining Kirk's Enterprise during the final two seasons, I'm still plenty excited about what's to come.

Star Trek and Rick and Morty crossing over sounded like fantasy back when the latter's former showrunner, Mike McMahon, first wrote Lower Decks. Fast forward to now, and Dan Harmon confirmed to CinemaBlend that it would actually be pretty easy to make it happen, despite Lower Decks' ending.

While speaking to Harmon and showrunner Scott Marader ahead of Rick and Morty's Season 9 return on the 2026 TV schedule, I brought up Warner Bros. Discovery's pending merger with Paramount Skydance and how that would put both franchises under the same umbrella. I asked if it would be possible for an official crossover to happen, even with Lower Decks off the air, and Harmon confirmed it'd be easier than I even thought to make it happen:

He's right, and if Dan Harmon and crew say they want access to the Lower Decks assets for a crossover episode/special, is Paramount Skydance going to say no? If it were me, I wouldn't say no to one of the best animated series out there giving my legacy franchise some increased relevance.

And while Star Trek: Lower Decks and Rick and Morty have distinctly different styles in how their teams approach storytelling, Scott Marader confirmed there are people on staff who would be great for a crossover adventure. Beyond Lower Decks creator Mike McMahon serving as a previous showrunner for the series, Marader confirmed they have a former LD writer on staff:

Bernard, who contributed heavily to the first three seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, is now working on Rick and Morty, according to showrunner Scott Marader. He's not the only fan on staff who is a massive Trekkie as Dan Harmon is also a big fan of the franchise as well.

While Trekkies may worry Rick and Morty may lean too far into the "wtf" elements of The Next Generation or have Rick make Q look like a joke, I don't think that would be the case. If there's one thing I've learned from seasons of watching Rick and Morty, it's that the staff is loaded with people who love sci-fi. I wouldn't even hesitate at the thought of Lower Decks and Rick and Morty having a crossover, especially since the alternative is Lower Decks never returning to television.

My only hesitation would be that I'm not sure how the greater Rick and Morty fandom would react, and how they'd feel about a Trek-heavy episode or feature crossover. Not everyone may be as enthusiastic as I am about that happening, but with the series renewed through Season 12, maybe it doesn't matter? Surely we can spare one episode for the Trekkies, right?

Rick and Morty Season 9 airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Season 9 is off to a great start thus far, and as someone who had a chance to see the entire season in advance, I can safely assure fans the best is yet to come.

It's been a rough time for Star Trek fans as of late, but Strange New Worlds' Season 4 premiere as part of the 2026 TV schedule has offered reasons to be excited. Ahead of the show's return in July for those with a Paramount+ subscription, we're now getting a real idea of what to expect. On that note, it seems fans like myself are going to get more of something they've been asking about for a while, and I couldn't be happier about it!

Strange New Worlds Season 4 Will Highlight Those Not On "Kirk's Enterprise"

According to a new summer preview from Polygon, Strange New Worlds will step away from seasonal big bads in Season 4 and put the focus back on the bridge crew. Specifically, fans can expect episodes that center around the people who aren't in "Kirk's Enterprise," and that's very exciting to hear.

It's also already known that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is making way for Sulu and "Bones" McCoy. However, in conjunction with the notion of more character-driven stories, the series will also prepare Erica Ortegas, Una Chin-Riley, and Erica Ortegas for their eventual exits. Presumably, this will set some of them on the path to appear in future adventures, though don't be surprised if one of them leaves the Enterprise in a casket.

If any Star Trek fans are reading this and are skeptical, I get it. We've been promised more of Melissa Navia's Ortegas in the past and, while Season 3 was a step in the right direction, it still feels we know so little about her. The same is true with Una and La'an, who have more or less become filler characters following their major arcs in early seasons. Hopefully, this season does right by them, and sets the stage for their exits as well as opens the door to future appearances in other shows. At the same time, it'll just be great to get more episodes centered around specific characters in general.

What Else Is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 About?

A season centered entirely on the characters who won't be on Kirk's Enterprise would be daring, but fans surely already know enough to feel sure that won't be the only thing Strange New Worlds does ahead of closing out things in Season 5. The fandom was teased with the existence of an episode in which the crew would be turned into puppets, and the teaser trailer revealed there will be dinosaurs as well.

The cast and crew seem pretty jazzed for fans to see it, but whether it'll be well-received depends on fans (and critics). It's safe to say morale is pretty low following the cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which means no shows are currently in development as far as the general public knows.

However, there is hope that San Diego Comic-Con will bring more news of upcoming projects, but that's not a guarantee. Until then, I continue to look ahead to the Trek shows we do have on the way, which as of writing is two seasons of Strange New Worlds and one more season of Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 should be a treat due to those varied and character-driven stories, and I'm hoping they collectively set the stage for a spectacular final season. Fortunately, the cast seems pretty positive that it's something the fans will love, so I'm putting my trust in their judgment. The season premieres on Paramount+ on July 23.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to the 2026 TV schedule for its fourth season this summer. At the same time, fans already know a fifth and final is on the way, and many are already pursuing details on the final episodes. Fortunately, the cast is willing to answer some questions, though Rebecca Romijn's latest comments about Season 5's tone have me thinking I'm not ready.

Romijn took a break from hyping her return as Mystique in Avengers: Doomsday to talk Trek at CCXP, as she spoke to Collider about the eventual series finale of Strange New Worlds. The actress was asked whether it was emotional to read through that final episode, which led to the unexpected reveal that might be the most substantial piece of information we've heard about the final season yet:

I may need to break out the tissues. Sure, I expected the season to be emotional, and I would be mildly concerned if the ensemble cast that spent five seasons filming together weren't crying when it was all over. Still, this sounds like it's going to evoke a range of emotions amongst viewers. What I am excited to hear is that it sounds like we're going to get a lot of goodbyes in Season 5, as each major character gets to summarize their arcs.

Before closing out its journey, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has to welcome Sulu and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. CinemaBlend previously reported that actors had been cast for the roles, with Thomas Jane playing McCoy. As for Chekov, the showrunners confirmed he's not joining the cast, as he's still a teenager throughout the entirety of Pike's tenure on the Enterprise.

Of course, with the arrival of Kirk's bridge crew, Strange New Worlds must also say goodbye to those who weren't a part of his ship. Rebecca Romijn's "Una" is one of those characters, as are La'an Noonien Singh and Erica Ortegas. Knowing those characters may get their own exit highlighted makes me happy, even if I'll be emotionally devastated watching the exit of Una, one of Star Trek's best characters.

All this to say, Rebecca Romijn didn't explicitly promise anything, and it's entirely possible we see one of those previously mentioned characters exit in Season 4. That certainly makes me nervous about streaming the upcoming season with my Paramount+ subscription, though I wouldn't miss it for the world, no matter how traumatizing it may be.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for Season 4 on Thursday, July 23rd, on Paramount+. I'm excited for the new episodes and curious about how this season will set up the final season and the arrival of Kirk's Enterprise era.

By now, fans are surely aware thatStar Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to end with its fifth season, and the fourth one is set to air as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Details are, of course, being kept tightly under wraps, though the stars of the show have shared some details here and there. On that note, Celia Rose Gooding is banging the gong and praising Seasons 4 and 5. While we eagerly wait to watch new episodes with a Paramount+ subscription, the Uhura actress is dropping some key words to describe the season, and they have me pumped!

Season 4 of Strange New Worlds arrives on July 23rd and, ahead of its arrival, TrekMovie.com caught up with the cast at CCXP Mexico City and talked about the upcoming episode. With the showrunners and actors alike calling Seasons 4 and 5 the best of the series, Celia Rose Gooding was asked about that and why she felt that way:

It may sound silly to get excited about the idea of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds embracing its "strangeness" and "newness." However, it's worth noting the fact the series didn't really live up to those adjectives with Season 3, and that was one of the complaints that longtime fans had. Viewers seem to love character arcs and seeing Spock and others get meaningful storytelling, but they also want to see space exploration and odd scenarios.

We still don't entirely know what's in store for Seasons 4 and 5 of Strange New Worlds, though there are a few things we can expect. It's known that there will be a puppet episode, and there's also a dinosaur in the latest trailer. Additionally, the entire bridge crew from Kirk's Enterprise should be in place by the end of the series.

While Season 3 received a middling response, Seasons 1 and 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds were some of the most-celebrated episodes of the new era of the franchise. They set a high bar, so I think it's bold of the actors and actresses to praise the final run of the series, which has already been filmed in its entirety.

I can't help but wonder if there are plans for Star Trek: Year One, the proposed spinoff featuring Paul Wesley's Kirk as the lead to further bridge the gap between the new adventures and TOS. Right now, the franchise faces a lot of uncertainty with the impending merger with Warner Bros. Discovery halting any new television orders by Paramount Skydance for now. We'll see if that remains the case come the end of the year, but at the moment, it seems the franchise is in a holding pattern.

More immediately, though, let's see if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds lives up to the "strangeness" and "newness" that's been promised and provide a bit of that "final boss energy." The show returns with new episodes on July 23rd. Here's hoping there are some great surprises in store as well.

Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher is returning to Star Trek, at a time I'd argue he's needed most. While we wait for new shows to arrive on the 2026 TV schedule, a new novel has been released that puts Beverly Crusher's eldest child back in the limelight after we missed out on seeing him in Picard Season 3.

Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate is now available to buy, and I'm certainly psyched to read it after hearing how much author Dayton Ward will incorporate characters from Picard Season 3, as well as other classic moments from the franchise. For those who have been petitioning for the Legacy spinoff, this may be the closest we get to seeing that happening.

How Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate Brings Back Wesley Crusher

For those who aren't current on the past few years of Star Trek, Season 2 of Picard reintroduced Wesley and revealed he's officially become a Traveler after leaving with them in The Next Generation. As we saw in Prodigy Season 2, Wesley was able to seamlessly jump between moments in time and bring others with him.

That's exactly what Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate will highlight, as he'll take Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Raffi Muskier with him through time to stop whatever is attempting to alter key moments in Starfleet history. Conveniently enough, those moments are some of Trek's most-celebrated episodes, so expect a lot of callbacks while reading.

As noted above, the newest Star Trek novel hails from prolific franchise author Dayton Ward, who has written numerous Trek books and short stories since the late 90s. As someone who loved his novel Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures, I can't wait to check out this latest story. Other fans may know him for his Strange New Worlds anthology contributions and his various The Next Generation novels.

This Is The Novel We Need In A Time Where Star Trek's Future Is In Limbo

With it seeming as though Paramount Skydance is looking to retool Star Trek on the television side, it's important to see a novel like Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate already making waves within the fandom. Specifically, I like that it sounds like an adventure that will blend both the newest and old elements of the franchise and show just how well these storylines mesh together.

The only thing I'm upset about is that this book serves as a reminder that Star Trek: Prodigy is not available to stream via Paramount+ subscription alongside all the other Trek shows and movies. Season 2, without question, delivered the biggest arc we've seen for Wesley in the entire franchise, and it would be great to revisit that while reading through this novel.

Aside from that, I do love that creatives continue to give Wil Wheaton a redemption arc as Wesley Crusher, given the blowback the character received from fans during The Next Generation days. It's cool the character is now the closest thing Star Trek has to Doctor Who's Time Lords, though let's not forget there's still a chance Time Lords exist in Trek.

As mentioned, Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate is available to purchase right now. I plan to dive into my copy soon and then start brainstorming a series pitch for Wesley Crusher revisiting meaningful moments throughout Trek history.

Leonard Nimoy took issue with how Gene Roddenberry wanted Spock to be portrayed in Star Trek, and it apparently resulted in the actor almost walking away from the role that cemented his career. The surprising story comes from a director who worked on the iconic episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Director Joseph Sargent spoke about the dispute between the creatives in the book The Fifty-Year Mission — The First 25 Years. The beloved late actor was said to have been frustrated, since playing a character like Spock meant having to deny his every instinct to embody the role more performatively. He went to creator Gene Roddenberry to discuss his frustration (via Woman's World.com), and according to Sargent:

While future Star Trek shows would write in ways that showcased more emotional depth in Vulcans, a large part of what made Spock so inhuman was his ability to overcome emotion with logic. As such, Gene Roddenberry wasn't going to flex on this, and while Nimoy threatened to quit, he ultimately stuck around and helped create one of the best Trek characters of all time.

Joseph Sargent went on to talk about how he saw Leonard Nimoy's career evolve, and felt compelled to ring him up after seeing one of the movies the actor directed. He said:

Nimoy didn't just direct one of the best Star Trek movies; he had a series of features afterward outside of the franchise, like Three Men And A Baby. While it's possible he might've gotten that opportunity down the line eventually, getting the chance to direct Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home certainly made the path to non-Trek directing gigs easier to get.

I'd argue Leonard Nimoy also paved the way for future Spock actors to explore their half-Vulcan and half-human background. Ethan Peck, whose version of Spock will return to the 2026 TV schedule in Strange New Worlds this summer, has had many scenes in which a younger Spock was "emotional," though it was far more muted than the average human.

It's wild to think of what Star Trek might've been like without Nimoy as Spock, and if it would've taken off in the way it did with sci-fi fans. The show thrived on the famous chemistry between Nimoy's Spock and William Shatner's James T. Kirk, and I'm not sure it'd be the same if any other actor played the role.

It's a great story to be reminded of the same year as Star Trek's 60th anniversary of the original series' premiere. With no active shows in development at the moment, fans haven't had much to celebrate as the franchise faces a lot of questions going forward. Right now, my question is if we can get some more remasters of classic Trek content available with a Paramount+ subscription, because I'd love an excuse to revisit some of these shows.

Star Trek's 60th anniversary continues, as fans wait for the premiere of Strange New Worlds Season 4 on July 24th. Tune in for dinosaurs, Kirk, and Spock, and see how Ethan Peck keeps the spirit of Leonard Nimoy's performance alive.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is returning to the 2026 TV schedule this summer, and it's looking like a wild Voyager connection could be coming up in Season 4. While we wait to stream new episodes with a Paramount+ subscription on July 24th, I need to talk about the dinosaur in the latest look at the season and if it is tied to the Voth.

A new trailer for Strange New Worlds Season 4 popped up over the weekend, and while there were no new scenes of the upcoming puppet adventure, we did see what looks to be a roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex. Unfortunately, we didn't get anything beyond that, so let's talk about what this scene could mean in detail, and how it could tie into a famous Voyager episode.

Is Strange New Worlds Going To Visit Prehistoric Earth?

I never want to assume anything when I see a clip of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, because there are just so many reasons we could be seeing this clip of a T. Rex. For example, maybe they went to a prehistoric planet that also has dinosaurs, or this is a dream Pike had. Let's also remember that last season featured a prototype Holodeck, so this could be a scene from a simulation.

Of course, another possibility is that the Enterprise crew somehow time-traveled back to Prehistoric Earth, and judging by the burning trees around the dinosaur, it may have shown up in the midst of an extinction event. I'd hate to see what the special effects bill was for this episode if so, but excited all the same to see dinosaurs in Star Trek if it ends up bringing the Voth back into the franchise.

Did The Enterprise Play A Role In The Voth's Existence In Voyager?

For Star Trek fans who don't remember or didn't watch Voyager, dinosaurs played a big role in the episode "Distant Origin." In the episode, the ship encounters a planet whose advanced species, the Voth, are a distant genetic relative of an extinct dinosaur species from prehistoric Earth. A Voth scientist wishes to use the Enterprise and its Voyager crew as evidence of the existence that Voth life first started on a distant planet (Earth), but he's deemed a heretic and coerced to recant his views.

While the Voyager episode confirmed the Voth evolved from dinosaurs that lived on Earth millions of years ago, it was never explained how the species escaped the planet before the extinction event that wiped out all the dinosaurs. Star Trek fans have theorized there was an advanced dinosaur species that developed space travel, or it's possible another advanced species transported them elsewhere.

We may finally get an answer thanks to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and I'm wondering if Pike's Enterprise may inadvertently be the ones who set the Voth on their eventual path of evolution. No guarantees the episode will even reference the episode, but given the nods we've seen over the years, I'm hoping they wrote this episode with that wtf Voyager episode in mind.

I'm hype for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to return, even with Season 4's arrival meaning that there's only one more season left if one of the best Trek shows of the modern era.

The Star Trek franchise may be in a holding pattern, but that doesn't mean its most beloved stars are out of a job. In fact, we have two stars hailing from the The Next Generation era that are set to appear in a crime series. Voyager's Kate Mulgrew will team up with Deep Space Nine's Colm Meaney for a series called The Yank.

The broadcaster RTÉ reported it's teaming with a selection of production companies to commission The Yank as a six-part series. Filming is already underway in Conamara, Galway, in Ireland. (Screen Ireland will be in the mix by association.)

Mulgrew will star in the series, with Colm Meaney being a co-star alongside others. I'm psyched to see this collaboration, especially considering Meaney never joined in on Trek's new era, and hoping I'll be able to watch it with via Netflix subscription or some other streaming service access.

What Is The Yank About?

Kate Mulgrew will go from playing a criminal in Orange Is The New Black to a NYPD detective who returns to her family's home after a traumatic event. Unfortunately, she's pulled into a murder investigation and teams up with local authorities to look into the death of a climate activist.

The series is a script from writer Eithne Verling, who made The Yank specifically for Kate Mulgrew after the two met when the actress was on vacation in Galway. I knew the actress was always proud of her Irish heritage, so maybe this series will atone for some of Star Trek: Voyager's WTF scenes with Fair Haven.

Why I Hope The Yank Will Get Picked Up In The United States

It's not Star Trek, but I do hope to see The Yank get picked up by some streamer or network to run in the United States. As mentioned, Colm Meaney wasn't a part of the recent stretch of Trek television, so I'll relish the opportunity to see him in this series. Then there's Kate Mulgrew, who did voice work for the canceled animated series Prodigy, but has not had a chance to appear in live-action.

At a time when it feels like Trekkies might be waiting on the next new television show in the franchise for a while, The Yank sounds like it could be a great distraction. It's not often we get to see a lot of these actors, especially the older ones, take on roles outside of Star Trek. With Patrick Stewart reportedly retiring from acting soon, we might see it happen even less frequently.

As such, I do hope that networks and streamers are keeping an eye on The Yank, because I know I'd like to give it a watch here in the U.S. when it releases. In the meantime, I guess I can always enjoy both Kate Mulgrew and Colm Meaney's previous Trek episodes with a Paramount+ subscription.

The 60th anniversary of Star Trek hasn't been a very fun one for fans, as some feel the franchise is stuck in a holding pattern amidst news of Starfleet Academy's cancellation and no meaningful updates on the film side. Franchise veteran Jonathan Frakes feels the same way people are feeling, but offered some words of wisdom as someone who has worked within Trek for a long time.

Frakes spoke to TrekMovie.com recently, and as someone with experience both in front of and behind the camera, he's a valued voice in the Star Trek community. The actor talked about the 60th anniversary, and the sad circumstances in which it arrived at a time when things aren't going great:

It is a weird time for the franchise, as Star Trek has zero shows in active development for the first time since 2015, when Discovery was first announced. It seems the television side is in a holding pattern, while Paramount Skydance prepares for a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, and EP Alex Kurtzman's contract with the studio expires at the end of 2026.

All this to say, it's April, and there's still time for the 60th anniversary of Star Trek to get the party rolling later on. The franchise doesn't officially hit the big 6-0 until September 8, as that was the date in 1966 when the world first met The Original Series' characters, albeit through a reconfigured pilot.

Strange New Worlds will return for Season 4 later this year, and it's possible Paramount will set that date to coincide with the September anniversary. With San Diego Comic-Con and NYCC appening in the coming months, there will be more opportunities for Paramount Skydance to make big announcements for Trek, across both film and television.

That said, Paramount Skydance has a lot of other things to work out with Warner Bros., and with Star Trek tentatively having content to roll out throughout the end of 2027, it seems decisions on what to do next could be placed on the back burner if there are other pressing decisions to be made in the meantime. The new film project teased at CinemaCon would certainly apply there, since it's unclear when we'll learn more about it.

While there is some sadness to pull from Jonathan Frakes' comment, I do appreciate his reminder that Star Trek will continue. The sci-fi franchise has survived for sixty years, and it wasn't all happy times on that road to 2026. While there may be a gap in content, it's comforting to hear vets like Frakes maintain they do think it'll make a comeback. In the meantime, I have access to a Paramount+ subscription and can enjoy the next year of content until we have more answers.

Here's hoping we have some more details about the future of Star Trek before the year ends, and if that's not possible, as soon as we can possibly hear more. I do agree with Jonathan Frakes that the franchise will resurface, but I'd rather not wait too long for it to do so.

Paramount Skydance announced its upcoming Star Trek movie is still "in development," and somehow, that's bumming me out more than the recent cancellation of Starfleet Academy. At a time when it feels Trekkies desperately need some positive news about the franchise's future, we're again stuck in this waiting period.

This year at CinemaCon, CEO David Ellison made exciting announcements about the studio's projects and confirmed it will aggressively release films throughout the 2026 movie schedule and beyond. However, TrekMovie.com and others reported that Star Trek was more or less a footnote, which is only a bit better than the previous year, when it was forgotten entirely. To me, that's not just upsetting, it's unacceptable, and it has me questioning just how serious the studio is about getting a movie out to its fans.

Star Trek Fans Know Nothing More About Star Trek's New Movie Than They Did In November

Back in November, we learned that John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were working on a new Star Trek movie, which had many excited because they're just a handful of years removed from co-writing Spider-Man: Homecoming. At the time, it was reported that it was likely the movie would be disconnected from previous entries in the franchise, both in film and television, and would feature new characters.

Essentially, we were given nothing in terms of what it would be about, which is exactly what we got this time, too. A Star Trek movie that has nothing to do with previous works is "in development," which can mean anything from a script actively being written to its just a studio commitment to make a movie happen. If this reads as snarky, it's because Paramount has been repeating this same line for the past decade, and we're no closer to seeing another Trek movie in theaters right now than we were back when Star Trek: Beyond was first released.

Paramount Skydance Is Really Dropping The Ball On Star Trek's 60th Anniversary

Star Trek's 60th anniversary as a franchise was meant to be a big year for the franchise, and yet, Paramount Skydance has done little in the way of assuring fans it's still the high-value IP that brought in billions in streaming revenue not that long ago. Movies take a while to make, I know that, but we can't even get a bread crumb of what the pitch is or what this movie is even about?

We do have unreleased seasons of Star Trek shows on the way, but I think many people want some promising news about the path forward. It doesn't seem like that will happen until Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Bros. happens, but I would assume that discussions have to be happening.

There's still hope that we'll get some special news about the future of Star Trek when San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, but I'm getting increasingly pessimistic after CinemaCon's presentation came and went. It's disappointing because I know a ton of Trekkies ready to celebrate the 60th anniversary, but so far, there's very little reason to get excited.

We'll continue to keep an eye out for what's ahead for Star Trek as the year continues. Almost all the shows and movies are available on streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, so make sure to pick up one to enjoy some classic shows.

The cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy raised many questions about the future of the franchise and created a lot of speculation. Unfortunately, it's also led to misinformation, as William Shatner was forced to release a statement denying rumors he had a "secret" conversation with Paramount/CBS about Star Trek.

As former Trek veterans like Tim Russ speculate on the motives behind Starfleet Academy's cancellation, Shatner is going on the offensive on Instagram and denying videos alleging he met with executives to discuss the modern direction of Trek and influenced the decision. Shatner quoted his famous line from a Saturday Night Live skit in his response:

Shatner is referring to an influx of AI-narrated videos on YouTube, which use generated images and alleged false narratives to suggest he and other prominent stars like Patrick Stewart are against the modern era of Star Trek. One of those videos in particular has 257,000 views, and features a thumbnail of Shatner yelling at Starfleet Academy actress Kerrice Brooks. It was uploaded weeks after the actor tweeted about meeting the cast and calling them adorable.

The videos maintain that William Shatner bemoaned modern Star Trek and shared a role in this latest era seemingly coming to an end, just weeks after he publicly bemoaned Starfleet Academy's cancellation. He continued his statement, offering candid advice to fans eager to believe he has an axe to grind against the modern era, and "hate watching" Trek in the name of bashing it:

William Shatner may be caught up in this situation due to comments he made years ago during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The actor became a notable face for the "anti Nu-Trek" fans after he said creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he saw some of the stuff happening in the modern shows.

CinemaBlend followed up with Shatner years later, knowing he famously does not watch Star Trek, and wanted clarity on why he said that. He said he was speaking about intimate relationships between coworkers, something Trek has highlighted as far back as The Next Generation. Despite that, some took it as commentary related to inclusive casting and portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships.

The impression that William Shatner isn't a fan of "woke" Star Trek prompted lawmakers in Washington to publicly request he run the franchise, which also got support from prominent figureheads like Elon Musk. Perhaps now that he has made his stance clear on the situation, we'll see less of this false content claiming otherwise.

While there are no active shows in development, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return to the 2026 TV schedule later this year. I look forward to its return, if only so the fandom can take a break from the back-and-forth discourse about the franchise's future.

The future of the Star Trek franchise has been a significant conversation as of late, and that's completely understandable. As of right now, the IP has zero shows in active development following the cancellation of Starfleet Academy. Now, as fans wait to hear what's next, Voyager star Tim Russ is suggesting politics might've played a role in its cancellation.

TrekCulture recently spoke to Russ, who also appeared in Picard Season 3, as well as the podcast audio drama Khan. The actor talked about the discourse surrounding the "woke" messaging and speculated about it playing a role in the series' eventual cancellation:

Russ also brought up the purported political affiliations of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, suggesting his closeness with President Donald Trump and his administration might have factored into the decision. Trump's Homeland Security Advisor publicly bashed Star Trek: Starfleet Academy back in January and called for William Shatner to take control of the franchise. Elon Musk, who has close ties to Trump via spearheading the DOGE program, has also publicly criticized the series.

Prior to Paramount+'s merger with Skydance, Star Trek actors, including Robert Picardo, did not foresee it impacting the franchise all that much. Now, we're heading into the rest of 2026 with no new shows planned, and it feels more likely with each passing day that Paramount Skydance will not renew the contract of its current head of Trek television, Alex Kurtzman. After bringing up that Star Trek has always been "woke," Tim Russ continued, further speculating that Ellison's thoughts on the show factored into its cancellation:

Russ' comments come after suggestions that the Trump administration played a role in CBS' cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and various changes made to CBS News programs. Of course, the actor isn't claiming to have any inside information as to what happened and is only suggesting that politics played a factor in the cancellation.

What has been evident, though, is the Star Trek brand's attempts to pull in a new, younger audience with some of its recent programming. Section 31 actor Robert Kazinsky shares the executives' belief that the fandom is "dying" and needs younger fans to keep the sci-fi staple chugging along past its 60th anniversary.

Starfleet Academy seemed to be an attempt to do just that, using a mix of veteran actors and 20-something unproven talent to pull back the curtain on a key piece of Starfleet that hadn't previously been explored.

Now, with its ending and a pending merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. on the way, one has to wonder when fans will get an announcement about when a new Star Trek series will be developed. With two seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds yet to air, and one final season of Starfleet Academy coming out, there's some time before there's no Trek left to watch, so it may be a while before any decisions are made.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, as well as other previous franchise shows, are available to stream on Paramount+. The discourse surrounding the franchise continues as more actors share their thoughts about the future, and I'm hopeful we'll hear much more from them when some future decisions are finally announced.

Star Trek is at a critical juncture, as its 60th anniversary approaches. Most recently, the cancellation of Starfleet Academy sparks major questions about the future of the franchise. Uncertainty also looms over Alex Kurtzman's stint as the head of the TV side of the IP and the timeline for a new show announcement. At the same, author Andy Weir is catching heat from another noted author over comments made about the Gene Roddenberry-birthed franchise.

Weir is having a moment right now as the film adaptation of his acclaimed 2021 novel, Project Hail Mary, is crushing at the box office and getting rave reviews. Of course, the noted sci-fi author had some clout due to his previous works, but he now has people talking due to sharing critiques of Star Trek's latest era.

Andy Weir Had Some Harsh Words For Aspects Of Star Trek's Current Era

Andy Weir was a guest on a podcast hosted by The Critical Drinker, who is known for his "anti-woke" philosophy regarding Star Trek and other science-fiction shows. The conversation about Trek's new direction started when the host said that he'd prefer if Paramount Skydance retconned the entirety of the new era of Trek. From there, Weir shared his own views:

While Weir does enjoy some of the new Star Trek, it would seem he's not a fan of Discovery, Picard, Prodigy and Starfleet Academy. That said, his actual comments aren't as inflammatory as I'd originally assumed, though I would love to hear more about what it is he does and doesn't like about the new era.

Weir then said he approached the franchise about pitching a show, but it was shot down. He also talked about the experience and his impression of Alex Kurtzman, based on their meeting:

To note, the comments read as being a lot more inflammatory than Weir's actual tone, which felt like he was being more jokey than aggressive. Either that, or Weir possibly realized in real time his comments could catch on, especially as Project Hail Mary continues to dominate the box office, and he tried to soften it. In any case, the sentiments are out in the wild, and not everyone is happy with them.

How Writer Don Winslow Called Out Andy Weir

Weir's comments made rounds amongst Star Trek fans and apparently, other celebrated writers as well. Don Winslow, who is known for The Power Of The Dog, The Force, Savages, Crime 101 and many other books, wasn't a fan of what his fellow novelist had to say. In a post on X, he publicly called out Weir and asked that he issue an apology:

After that initial tweet, someone asked why Winslow would make a statement about the comments. With that, Winslow continued in a second post:

To be clear, it seems Winslow is not mad at Weir for having an opinion on Star Trek but more so for publicly bashing Alex Kurtzman as a creative. Kurtzman, of course, has written a chunk of Trek episodes for the new shows and is involved in the creative oversight of each of them.

Andy Weir Apologizes To Alex Kurtzman

Whether Don Winslow was responsible for this or not, Andy Weir decided to publish an open letter to Alex Kurtzman on Facebook as an apology. The writer explained that he didn't think before speaking, and tried to clarify his stance on what was said:

Good on Weir for speaking out, as some might've just waited for the heat to die down after the comments. Here's hoping Alex Kurtzman sees the message and is appreciative of the comments.

While the Star Trek team has no confirmed plan on the TV side, Paramount Skydance has made it clear there's an intention to release a theatrical movie. Writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were hired specifically for that reason, though there haven't been any updates about progress on that front. With no active shows in development on the 2026 TV schedule, the field is wide open for the movies to make a comeback. I'd be curious as to how Andy Weir would feel about additional feature films compared to the recent shows.

The good news is there is still new Star Trek to enjoy, so hold onto that Paramount+ subscription. Strange New Worlds Season 4 is expected to release later this year, and then 2027 will bring us its fifth and final season, along with Season 2 of Starfleet Academy. Here's hoping that by then we have some answers about what's next for Trek-related TV projects.

When CinemaBlend asked Robert Picardo in 2025 whether Paramount's merger with Skydance would impact the franchise, he felt pretty certain that it wouldn't happen. Of course, no one could predict that months later, Paramount Skydance would also merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, which has once again thrown everything into flux. Now, amidst positive assurances that the show would be fine, Starfleet Academy has been canceled, and the actor has offered a sobering message about his hopes for the franchise going forward.

Picardo added his voice to other Star Trek actors' comments, like William Shatner, who bemoaned the cancellation not long ago. On Screen and Beyond interviewed Picardo, and he shared his thoughts on what he hopes will be ahead when it comes to Trek programming in the future:

The actor's comments are in reference to the discourse that surrounded Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in Season 1. Some fans decried the series as "too woke," citing changes like an openly gay Klingon as too extreme for the franchise. While critics and overall reviews for the series were high, the series seemingly failed to find enough of an audience for Paramount Skydance to bring it back for Season 3.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's cancellation comes at a key time, as it's the final year of Alex Kurtzman's deal with Paramount+. With no active shows in development at the moment, it appears as though the company will select a new person to head Star Trek television, though nothing is set in stone at this time.

Whatever the case may be, it would seem that this era, which started back in 2017 with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, is over. It's possible Paramount could look into rebranding the franchise for its future shows or evaluate ways to try and entice new viewers while still serving the classic fandom.

Paramount Skydance has not signaled its plan for Star Trek television, though there have been public intentions to get a movie back in theaters soon. We're coming up on a decade since the last Trek movie premiered in theaters, but it seems like that could soon come to an end if all goes to plan. Whether that means television will take a backseat until that goal is realized, we can only wait and see.

There's a lot of uncertainty in Star Trek right now, but fortunately, most of the shows are still available to stream over on Paramount+. Plus, we also have the final seasons of Strange New Worlds and Season 2 of Starfleet Academy on the way, so there will be some new content to look forward to as the franchise figures out its next steps forward.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy only just finished its first season on the 2026 TV schedule a few weeks ago, but that was overshadowed by bad news earlier this week. Though Season 2 will still be released sometime in 2027 as planned, CBS Studios and Paramount+ have already canceled Starfleet Academy, making it the shortest-lived live-action Trek series yet. While this development is obviously disappointing to the show's fans, myself included, it’s resulted in me worrying about the Star Trek franchise as a whole.

There Are No New Star Trek TV Shows On The Horizon

Right now, there are only two currently-airing Star Trek TV shows, but they’re both going to be gone soon. In addition to Starfleet Academy Season 2, there are two more seasons of Strange New Worlds on the way. Season 4 will premiere sometime later this year, and then Season 5, which will be comprised of six episodes rather than 10, will wrap things up in 2027. At least in Strange New Worlds’ case, the cast and crew were given enough time to bring the show to a proper close, whereas it sounds like Academy is going to end with unresolved plot threads.

More importantly, once Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds are over, there are no other Trek TV shows set to officially move forward. The Picard follow-up, Star Trek: Legacy, will seemingly remain a pipe dream, particularly because IDW’s upcoming relaunched Star Trek title and new spinoff, Star Trek: Zero Point, will take place in that same time period (via Gizmodo). At one point, Lower Decks and Starfleet’s Academy’s Tawny Newsome was developing a live-actionTrek comedy, but there haven't been any updates on that project in a while.

So, there is a strong chance we’re about to enter an era similar to when Enterprise ended after four seasons in 2005. How is Paramount going to make sure that Star Trek stays in the public consciousness? Well, I’m thinking the studio is going to repeat what it did in the late 2000s, and I don’t think this is a wise course of action for the late 2020s.

I’m Worried Paramount Will Try To Blockbuster-ize Star Trek Again

From 2009 to 2016, Paramount Pictures released Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, which featured younger takes on the Original Series characters in what’s known as the Kelvin timeline. This trilogy boasted more blockbuster-y action compared to the previous Trek movies, and I’ll readily admit that I do like them. They kept my interest in the franchise afloat, and it’s disappointing that Star Trek 4 is almost certainly not going to happen.

Instead, there’s reportedly a new theatricalTrek movie in development to “reinvigorate” the property. This sounds suspiciously like what happened with the first Kelvin timeline movie, and I really hope that’s not the case. The Paramount+ subscription-exclusive Star Trek shows proved you can add movie-quality action sequences to the various series, but in ways that balance out more nicely with the franchise’s more cerebral approach to science fiction.

I’m concerned that under the new Paramount leadership, the powers-that-be’s idea of reinvigorating the IP means trying to dumb it down to make it more appealing to the public. It was one thing to do this at a time when TV shows were more constrained with what they could deliver with special and visual effects, but we don’t live in that era anymore. I don’t want the start of a newTrek film series to come at the cost of losing the inherent thoughtfulness built Into the franchise; even more so if it also results in the reduction of all the strides in diversity and inclusion we’ve gotten over the last decade.

Hopefully we’ll get news later this year giving us a better idea of what’s next for Star Trek after Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy end next year, and that it doesn’t resemble what I’m worried about. For now, I’ll continue anticipating the former’s fourth season and hope the latter is allowed to film additional material to give its second season a more definitive ending, just like Discovery Season 5 got to do.

It was reported earlier this week that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy had been canceled after only two seasons. With that, fans took to social media to share thoughts, and different corners of the fandom have varying thoughts. Amidst all the chatter, franchise veteran William Shatner added his thoughts to the mix and offered some surprising commentary on the end of the latest Trek series.

Though he hasn't watched the franchise over the past few decades, Shatner is usually unafraid to share his opinions on the overall creative direction and decisions of Star Trek as a whole. Most notably, he made comments a few years back about how creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he saw some of the elements used by the modern shows. After previous attempts to be goaded into talking about the show, Shatner took to X say in the wake of Starfleet Academy ending:

Given his history of comments about Star Trek's modern shows, some may find it surprising to read what William Shatner had to say. Perhaps he was feeling extra sentimental after his recent 95th birthday, though his comments that followed suggested otherwise.

William Shatner went on to talk about the divisiveness of Starfleet Academy, which some have claimed is "too woke." The actor, who not that long ago had critics asking for him to get control of the creative direction of Trek, dropped another post:

Shatner may not be as familiar with the stories and lore of Star Trek, but he can definitely speak to what the social climate was like when he first joined the series. Progressive viewpoints and ideals have also always been a cornerstone of the franchise and, as time goes on, what's progressive changes.

Starfleet Academy is a series that's attempted to pull in a new generation of fans with a younger cast and fresh storytelling in a new era to serve as an entry point for newcomers. Unfortunately, it had a section of older fans rebel against it, which William Shatner reminded followers was the same case when The Next Generation first came out:

Fortunately, The Next Generation didn't come out at a time when ten-episode orders were the norm for a standard season. It might've had the same fate otherwise but, instead, thanks to a 26-episode run, it found an audience and went on to be one of the most acclaimed sci-fi shows of all time.

By the time it ends, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will have had six episodes less to get fans on board, and I'm sure even fewer new fans will tune in knowing its fate in advance. For now, it seems many are already looking ahead to new announcements, curious as to what direction the franchise will head in now that no new Trek shows are in development.

Additionally, Starfleet Academy's cancellation has led to speculation on whether Alex Kurtzman's time running the television side of Star Trek is at an end. The series' cancellation seems to mark an opportunity for the keys to the kingdom to be handed over to another creative, leaving them with the decision of what's next for the franchise. Or, we could just be in for a break in Trek streaming shows, as Paramount Skydance prioritizes bringing the franchise back to theaters. Regardless of all that, more immediately, William Shatner's take on this situation gives fans a lot to chew on.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription alongside other Trek shows. With so much chatter happening in the fandom, now might be the best time to unplug and just enjoy an old favorite while this all blows over.

William Shatner recently enjoyed another trip around the sun, and as is tradition, he posted to social media to share a bit about how he spent his birthday. Fans didn't get all the details of how the Star Trek legend celebrated the big day, but he did indulge in one way that would've been a far cry from something that occurred on Captain Kirk's ship.

As the 2026 TV schedule rolls on and we've celebrated his return to television via a Super Bowl commercial, Shatner is loving life at 95. He posted a photo of the celebration on Instagram, in which he's seen puffing on a cigar:

That's against Starfleet regulation! Or at least it was during Gene Roddenberry's time.

The creator did not want any smoking in his space drama, based on the belief that such a utopian society would've eradicated it. It prevented executives from being able to put smoking ads in Star Trek, so it is a little jarring to see Shatner smoking a stogie imagining Captain Kirk do the same.

Of course, Star Trek didn't stay completely devoid of smoking. Picard notably featured Cristóbal Rios, who puffed on cigars during his adventures with Jean-Luc Picard, available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Rios was certainly an outlier, though, and enjoyed 21st-century customs so much he ended up staying back in the past when given the opportunity.

All this to say, seeing William Shatner with a cigar at 95 caught me off guard, but I'm 100% all-in on letting the actor do what he wants. Many of us will be lucky to live a life as full as his, and I'm always surprised by how active he remains despite being just five years away from 100. Sure, he has the occasional hospital trip here and there, but he finds a lot of time to appear at conventions as well!

William Shatner's 95th birthday comes at an odd time for Star Trek, as Paramount Skydance looks to complete a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. While that gets worked out, all future plans for Trek are on hold, leading some to try to petition for Shatner to take over the franchise. He doesn't seem too interested in that at the moment, but I'm sure he appreciates the continued love from the fandom decades after he left the franchise.

CinemaBlend wishes William Shatner a happy birthday, and hope that 95 is as great as every year that came before it. As for Star Trek, I'm hoping we get more show announcements soon, or at least a premiere date for Strange New Worlds Season 4.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 remains one of the most-acclaimed seasons of the modern revival of the franchise, thanks in part to it reuniting the cast of The Next Generation. I was excited to see the iconic sci-fi ensemble together again, but now I'm a little bummed Marina Sirtis found the experience "depressing."

While fans continue to cross their fingers and hope for a Star Trek: Legacy follow-up, Sirtis got brutally honest on The Show People Podcast about how the reunion wasn't what she hoped. She was asked what it was like getting back together with all her co-stars once again on the set of Picard, and said the following:

While Sirtis has been on the record in saying she thinks Star Trek: Picard was her best work in the franchise, and that she's grateful for it, she's upset that the vibe wasn't the same as it was on The Next Generation. It's in no small part due to smartphones, which weren't around during TNG.

The Season 3 reunion was, perhaps, of more consequence for Marina Sirtis than others. She had moved away from Los Angeles and was living in the UK full-time following the death of her husband, Michael Lamper, in 2019. His passing came just before the series premiere of Picard, in which she reprised her role as Deanna Troi in Season 1. The rest of the core cast wouldn't return until Season 3, the planned final season of the streaming series.

While people have hoped that a follow-up series would be announced during the 2026 TV schedule or beyond, Sirtis and others have shot down the idea of that ever happening. The actress specifically dashed fan hopes during a recent panel on the fan cruise, noting that no studio would want to take on a cast who is mostly north of 70 (via Den Of Geek).

It is worth noting, however, that Picard star Jeri Ryan was reportedly offered a pitch by Paramount that would be a continuation of the series, but turned it down. Ryan explained that the show's vision didn't align with what fans wanted, which was why she declined. For now, no formal announcements are planned for a new Star Trek series, and Alex Kurtzman confirmed it may be a while before that happens due to Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

For the time being, Star Trek: Picard is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. We'll keep an ear to the ground about any follow-ups to Picard, but as mentioned, it may be a long time before we hear anything new with Trek period.

I know, I know, there are so many great streaming deals available all the time, but Paramount+ is running a promotion that is by far one of the best in a very long time. Between now and March 31st, new and returning users can get a Paramount+ subscription for the low, low price of $2.99 per month for two months. Before you start with something like, “This is probably for the ad-supported version, right?” let me stop you and explain things…

This is a rare deal these days, but this new Paramount+ deal is not only for the ad-supported model but also the ad-free version of the popular streaming service. With so many great new streaming series on the platform (The Madison just premiered, by the way), March Madness starting up later today, and the Masters weeks away, this deal is coming at the perfect time. Let’s break it all down…

What’s Up With The Biggest Paramount+ Deal In Years?

If you’ve been thinking about adding Paramount+ to your collection of streaming platforms or have been on the fence about resubscribing, this deal is going to be music to your ears. Between now and the end of the month, new and former subscribers can access the “Mountain of Content” for $2.99 per month for two months.

This is essentially the best deal the streamer has offered in years, as it includes both the “Essential” and the “Premium” plans. While we see the Essential plan being discounted all the time for Black Friday and other events, the Premium option is rarely included, making this a deal that’s too good to pass up.

You should note that once the two months are up, the price goes up to $8.99 per month for the Essential plan and $13.99 per month for the Premium plan. Still, though, getting one of the premier streamers for as much as $11 off a month (that’s $22 in savings through the life of the deal).

This Deal Comes Just In Time For March Madness

The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, aka “March Madness,” gets underway this week, with a slate of this weekend’s biggest matchups being broadcast on CBS. If you’ve canceled your cable plan or lost your antenna to catch the over-the-air broadcast, this Paramount+ deal has you covered. Though the Final Four and National Championship game aren’t being carried by CBS this year (they’re streaming with an HBO Max subscription), a couple of dozen matchups from the first two rounds, the Sweet 16, and the Elite Eight will all be on Paramount+.

That’s not all for sports fanatics, as the two-month window of this streaming deal also includes the duration of the 2026 Masters Tournament from Augusta National Golf Club from April 9 to 12. Before you know it, you’ll be hearing Jim Nantz say, “Hello, friends, welcome to a tradition unlike any other.” Then there’s the ongoing UEFA Champions League coverage available with Paramount+. See, this deal just keeps getting better all the time…

Though I am not eligible for this heavily discounted promotion (I’ve had a Paramount+ subscription since the CBS All Access day), this deal is just too good to ignore. Whether you’re here for sports, original shows from Taylor Sheridan, or the streamer’s massive library of movies and shows, there’s something for everyone.

All of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 is now available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. And, a fans wait for Season 2's arrival, there are mounting questions about what's next for the series and the franchise's future in general. Fortunately, top producer Alex Kurtzman has been candid and giving the answers he can, especially when it comes to returning guest stars like Paul Giamatti, and whether he'll return to the show.

With Giamatti's Nus Braka detained by Starfleet at the end of the first season, TV Insider and others wondered if Giamatti would return in Season 2. Kurtzman didn't leave fans guessing and laid out where things currently stand on getting the Oscar-winning actor back in the fold. At this point, there's both good and bad news on that front:

Paul Giamatti is a busy guy in Hollywood, but one has to imagine the door is open for him to do a one-off or mini arc of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in Season 3. Season 2 has already completed filming, which is why there's no chance of seeing him in the next season.

Kurtzman already sounds as though he's planning for Season 3, which makes sense given showrunner Noga Landau has indicated the same. With her recent tease that the second season is going to end on a cliffhanger, I would imagine they (hopefully) wouldn't do that with zero indication from Paramount that the show is likely to be renewed.

Of course, nothing feels certain these days when it comes to Paramount Skydance, especially as the company irons out its acquisition of Warner Bros. As the 2026 TV schedule rolls on, it's expected that there will be updates about shakeups across multiple franchises, including Star Trek.

Ultimately, the dust is still settling on the specifics of the acquisition, and there are a lot of decisions that must be made while we wait to see if the merger is even cleared. Kurtzman indicated to CinemaBlend that we're still a ways off before the new heads even get to talking about what's ahead for Star Trek in earnest, which means it could take some time before we get a new show announcement or season renewal news.

The upside of this news is that we have one season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on the way, and two seasons of Strange New Worlds that have yet to air. With that lineup, it'll be a minute before we're out of Trek to watch, so there's still some time to kick back and wait for updates.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 is available to stream on Paramount+. Those who are behind still have plenty of time to catch up before Season 2's arrival (though I do wonder when we'll get the newest season of Strange New Worlds.)

Season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is over, and with filming already finished on Season 2, and Strange New Worlds wrapping a while back, there are currently no active Trek shows in development. It's the first time in a long time that's happened, and while that may make fans uneasy, Alex Kurtzman reassured CinemaBlend they shouldn't be so worried.

While I'm excited to see Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premiere later on the 2026 TV schedule, I had to ask Kurtzman if we could expect any new show announcements before the end of the year. The EP and head of Trek television hinted that conversations are happening, but given Paramount Skydance's planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, it could take some time before we see anything new move forward:

The gist here is that Paramount was a massive company with many holdings that merged with Skydance and its holdings. Now, it's taking on Warner Bros., which also recently merged with Discovery. Two studios with a lot of assets are going to take a long time to sort through, and as much as fans would love to have key decisions about their beloved franchises to be a top priority, there's a lot more to work through.

Alex Kurtzman did have some good news, however, especially if you're someone who feared Warner Bros. involvement in Star Trek like I once did. As he continued to talk about the logistics of this massive eventual merger, he added that he and Starfleet Academy showrunner, Noga Landau, feel supported:

Essentially, the delay in any new Star Trek is in no way indicative of the success of the shows, in this case. The simple fact of the matter is it's going to take time for everything to get worked out, and when the time comes to talk Trek, we'll find out.

While that may not be the answer that Star Trek fans want, it's worth noting that we really don't need any updates on shows for the immediate future. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will air Season 4 later this year, and then presumably, the final season will air in 2027 along with Season 2 of Starfleet Academy. That gives a considerable window for Starfleet Academy creatives and actors to sit back and relax, and potentially still be able to go back into production for a 2028 release date for Season 3 should it get renewed.

Of course, there is a chance that the conglomerate comes together and tries to move the Star Trek franchise in a new direction entirely. We do know it's a priority of Paramount Skydance to get a movie back in theaters, so who knows how much attention the television side of things will get. As Alex Kurtzman said, they're being supportive, though, so we'll have to see.

Hold onto that Paramount+ subscription for Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds later this year, and stick with CinemaBlend for updates on the franchise. Hopefully, as the year continues, the dust will settle, and we'll have a much better idea of what the future holds.

There are a lot of opinions out there about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and amidst all the praise and criticism, one typically outspoken voice had remained silent. That changed recently when William Shatner shared some thoughts about the series, though not in the way some might have hoped.

Shatner isn't afraid to talk Trek, despite never really keeping up with the franchise. He made waves years back with a comment that creator Gene Roddenberry would be turning in his grave after watching the modern shows. So, obviously, those who are opposed to Starfleet Academy would like to get his thoughts on the new series.

This has led to fans frequently mentioning the show in his comments, and finally, he took the bait. Someone mentioned the budget for an episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in his comments, as he was doing some promotion for X. William Shatner then shared his thoughts, but it didn't have anything to do with the actual series:

It sounds like Shatner had a chance to see some of the young cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and had nothing but pleasant things to say. While some are satisfied with that, there's a community of fans who, not long ago, were petitioning for the actor to take control of the franchise and would likely prefer he say something scathing about the show.

Others interpreted the remark as a backhanded statement about the cast and tried to paint the actor's comment as a dig. One user specifically replied to the comment, trying to make a comparison between the new series streaming new episodes with a Paramount+ subscription, and the original:

This person wasn't the only one in the comments to make that kind of statement, but they did end up being the one that William Shatner replied to. The actor wasn't entertaining any replies about his comment being misconstrued, and wanted to add that he is cute as well:

Either William Shatner didn't understand what the comment was getting at, or he didn't want to have to walk back another disparaging statement about Star Trek. It's also worth noting that he's in the midst of promoting X Money on the platform and probably didn't want his comments to devolve into a Trek discussion, as they likely would.

The exchange comes just days ahead of the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and not long after the series wrapped filming on Season 2. While there's no word yet about whether it'll return for Season 3, the showrunner and EP hinted they're feeling bullish it'll come based on the tease of how next season ends.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's Season 1 finale streams on Paramount+ on March 12th. Tune in to see how this year rounds out for the cadets, and what's ahead for next season.

Star Trek: Strafleet Academy will wrap up Season 1 soon, and as it looks on past the 2026 TV schedule and onward to Season 2, the debate surrounding it continues. There's a section of the fandom that decries it as "too woke," and others are happy to see a new generation represented in the franchise. Then there's the opinions of the actual people responsible for it, and who better to comment than Jonathan Frakes, who can relate it to when he was on The Next Generation.

As people continue to watch Starfleet Academy with their Paramount+ subscription, Frakes spoke to IGN about the talk surrounding the show. He's acted and directed for Star Trek over the decades, and has seen a few things. As such, he wasn't surprised by the divisive reaction to the series, as he experienced it too when TNG was on the air:

While it eventually went on to become one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time, it is true The Next Generation had its share of haters when it began. Fans campaigned to save Star Trek, but they wanted more adventures with Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and the rest. They weren't familiar with Jean-Luc Picard and this new crew, but now, consider them some of Trek's best characters.

Jonathan Frakes also mentioned how the internet has intensified the "trolling" of a cast and crew, though they don't seem fazed by it. Both showrunner Noga Landau and star Karim Diané dismissed the noise and continued to encourage those debating to watch as the series continues.

Filming just completed on Season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and while it's not officially known if it's coming back for Season 3, Landau hinted there's a cliffhanger in that season finale. If that's the case, I think the crew is feeling bullish about coming back for another season.

I imagine we'll get word about a renewal eventually, though for now, I'm just focused on the upcoming Season 1 finale. I'm not sure the Federation is ready to face a threat from some of its rival enemies, but I guess we'll see for sure after their response in the episode.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy continues on Paramount+ on Thursdays. With Season 1 set to close out, I do wonder how this upcoming season finale will set the stage for Season 2 as a big threat looms over the Federation.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is ending with Season 5, and as filming officially wrapped on the Paramount+ series back in December, it seems the stars are now looking ahead to other projects. In fact, Paul Wesley just landed a solid role on a popular series on Apple TV+. However, this news has me wondering about his future with Star Trek.

With Strange New Worlds premiering Season 4 later this year on the 2026 TV schedule, we still have some time before the end of the beloved series. While we wait for Wesley's upcoming appearances as James T. Kirk, it looks like he's going to be on another acclaimed show soon.

Paul Wesley Will Join The Buccaneers In Season 3

The Buccaneers will welcome Paul Wesley in Season 3 in the role of Frank. The show follows a group of American girls as they travel to England to find husbands. Read more about his character below, after seeing the announcement video about the actor's casting:

Frank is described as a "mysterious but charming" stranger who will show up and have a significant impact on the lives of Nan and Mrs. St. George. For Trekkies who want to know more about the period romance and check it out, we did a write-up about Season 1 that's worth checking out.

Will Wesley Be Available For A Potential Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Follow-Up Series?

While it's exciting to see Paul Wesley finding new work, I do wonder what this means about the possibility of him starring as James T. Kirk in a Star Trek follow-up to Strange New Worlds. Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have continued to pitch a follow-up that would highlight Kirk's first years as captain on the Enterprise, as somewhat of a soft reboot of the original series.

Does Paul Wesley joining The Buccaneers jeopardize this in any way? We can only speculate, but it is worth noting that we won't even see the final season of Strange New Worlds until 2027 at the earliest. With no other live-action Star Trek shows on the way and Starfleet Academy just wrapping up work on filming Season 2, the stage is set for a new series to go into production.

That said, there's always a reality in which, if this hypothetical Star Trek series happened, Paul Wesley could complete his work on Season 3 of The Buccaneers long before production ever officially started. Right now, we have no idea what the long-term plan for the franchise is when it comes to television, with Starfleet Academy being the only series right now that has a chance of continuing.

So, if a follow-up to Strange New Worlds was announced, it wouldn't happen without Paul Wesley playing Captain Kirk. For that reason, people are tracking to see what moves the actor is making, and seeing if he's hanging around waiting to hear news on his next job in Trek. Wesley said he'd be down to continue playing Kirk, so I hope Paramount+ is considering that pitch.

The Buccaneers Season 3 is set to begin production soon, but we'll see Paul Wesley for sure when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for Season 4 later this year. Hopefully, we'll see a lot more of him as Kirk in the future, but we'll just have to wait and see.

We're now several weeks into the discourse surrounding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. While the show gets plenty of praise, some view it as an affront to the franchise, tearing down the legacy it built over the past 60 years. We've seen people tackle the argument that the franchise was always "woke," but there's one thing I would love to dispute when it comes to modern Trek, camp, and fan service.

I've read complaints from people who don't like Starfleet Academy, currently streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, that talk about how it and new shows have "ruined" the franchise. It's a bold take, especially from the crowd that likes to prop up The Original Series as the gold standard, especially when movies like Star Trek V: The Final Frontier exist.

Star Trek: The Final Frontier Is Proof Positive That Fans Pick And Choose What Shows They Nitpick

Tawny Newsome told CinemaBlend that Star Trek is not always the high-minded morality play its often made out to be, and that was ringing in my ears when I finally decided to resume my watch of the TOS movies. My parents were not Trekkies, so I've come upon these movies much later than life, and chronicled my journey along the way as a fan who has experienced the bulk of Trek that came after.

I'd slacked off on tackling The Final Frontier, because I knew the reputation it has. At the same time, with all the discourse talking about how Alex Kurtzman's shows have ruined Star Trek, it felt like the perfect time to dive into a movie that has withstood the test of time and stood tall as a movie disliked by both fans and critics alike.

It's curious, then, that folks like Stephen Miller and Elon Musk would call on William Shatner, the Original Series era's star and director of The Final Frontier, to lead the franchise in 2026. Sure, opinions on movies are often subjective, but once I get into the meat and potatoes of what makes this movie so bad, it's clear a number of these haters of the new generation of shows are clearly picking and choosing what to ignore from the past.

The Movie Is Riddled With Campiness, And In A Modern Era, Would Be Called 'Fan Service'

Every sin that some would say the modern era of Star Trek committed is present in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The largest, and perhaps most glaring, is Spock suddenly having a sibling that was never previously mentioned. Had Sybok been dropped in randomly in 2026, would he get the same response as Michael Burnham did as his adopted sister, who became one of Trek's best characters?

What about the sheer ignorance of Captain Kirk scaling El Capitan like he's Alex Honnold in Free Solo? Surely there'd be hour-long rants on YouTube channels about the unrealistic recklessness exhibited by one of Starfleet's premiere captains, who only narrowly escaped death because of a Vulcan in levitation boots. By the way, a Vulcan in levitation boots? Way to completely destroy my immersion, creating a new invention never previously seen in Trek prior to that moment.

To those who hate Star Trek V as much as they do the new shows, this means nothing. That said, I can literally pick and choose any show or work in the franchise and do this exact same thing with very few exceptions. So, for those who claim looking to the past will bring a return to form, there's a mountain in Yosemite equal to the amount of evidence to the contrary.

Critics Were Not Kind To The Movie, But It Remains A Fan Favorite For Reasons Some Would Turn And Use Against New Trek Shows

Despite being panned by even William Shatner, Star Trek V still has its fans to this day. Favorable fan reviews talk about the fun of seeing the ensemble cast having fun, cracking jokes and engaging in silliness throughout the movie.

So to those who take pot shots at Star Trek: Starfleet Academy right now, let me ask a question. Is SAM saying that Caleb has a "tight booty" when she's "drunk" worse than the conversation about Spock not knowing the words to "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat?"

To use an example from the shows, what about that WTF moment in Star Trek: The Next Generation when Data implied he had a fully-functional penis? The point being, I don't see where the evidence is that Starfleet Academy and these other shows are doing anything that the past has not already done before it. Every gripe can be found in the past, and yet the criticism isn't there.

I Believe Fans Tend To Look At Their Own Peak Eras With Rose-Colored Glasses

I've interacted with a lot of Star Trek fans over the years, enough to know there are many different opinions on which show is the "peak" of the franchise. The problem it's created is that there are many fans who all have an idea of what the franchise is, and it's what their favorite show is; or more specifically, their favorite episodes.

The reality is that Star Trek, in its totality, is the same across the board. They're all built on progress, embracing the principle of IDIC (Infinite Diversity Infinite Combinations), and yes, a fair bit of campiness along the way. The Final Frontier and Section 31 are cut from the same cloth, even if they don't shine as brightly as other offerings.

I think once Trekkies begin to acknowledge the flaws in their favorite series or movies, it becomes much easier to see the big picture and be more receptive to new attempts. Starfleet Academy may not be everyone's cup of tea, but even as someone not particularly fond of teen dramas, I've been able to see past that and see the parts that make Star Trek great. If you spend time nitpicking, well, take the time to do that through the past and maybe discover you never were much of a fan at all.

Watch Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and most all the other Trek shows and movies over on Paramount+. As someone who loves to just kick back and enjoy some space adventures, I can testify it's a solid time no matter which era you choose to stick to.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched American Dad’s Season 20 premiere, so be warned!

The sun in the sky definitely had a smile on its face today, as American Dad hit the rare TV benchmark of debuting its 20th season, but its arrival on the 2026 TV schedule wasn’t on the same channel the animated comedy has called home for the past twelve years. “Aw Rats, A Pool Party” marked its return to Fox’s Sunday night lineup after an extended run on TBS, and what a gloriously disgusting homecoming it was. Pool parties shouldn’t inspire pure disgust, but the Smith family rises above.

Not only did the episode showcase one of the all-time grossest gags of the show’s 380+ episodes, but it also featured an excellent Star Trek callback for Patrick “Picard” Stewart, and references to Ratatouille and The Simpsons. T’was a glorious night indeed, so let’s give each of these highlights their due celebration, all while trying not to throw up in one’s own mouth.

Stan's Dead Rat Balloon Animal Nearly Killed Me

As soon as Stan excitedly mentioned the family's shared pubic-hair razor as a lead-in to the family's pool party, I just knew something awful would happen. Stan doesn't bring out that time-honored toiletry for any ol' small-fry nonsense. It's the pube razor, people!

I didn't expect the pool party to get upended by a dead rat, though, or that the rat would lead to one of the most nauseatingly hilarious one-two jokes I can remember seeing. Not just on American Dad, but anywhere in life.

After Bullock & Co. arrived, and Stan was correctly called out for hiding the still dripping animal corpse behind his back after taking it out of the pool, he attempted to lie his way out of trouble by bafflingly claiming the cadaver in his hand was actually a balloon.

Not just a balloon, but one that he could then twist and turn into the shape of a rat, complete with some choice squelching noises from the foley dept.

I was already laughing too loudly as Stan started blowing air into the rat's gross little mouth, and then the floor dropped from beneath me as he rather methodically turned his balloon animal lie into something that actually resembled the truth. By the time the corpse exploded viscera as Jeff grabbed it, I was choking on my own laughter, and had to pause the episode.

That 15-second sequence is easily one of the funniest things I've seen so far this year, and I imagine I'll be using "No, it's a...balloon!" the next time I need to lie about something.

Patrick Stewart's Latest Nod To His Star Trek Catchphrase

Astonishingly enough, just before setting up Stan's disgusting array of vomit-worthy shenanigans, the great Sir Patrick Stewart made a fun callback to his famed catchphrase command as Star Trek's Jean-Luc Picard, "Make it so." As it went in the episode:

I've no clue how Picard would feel about having a taco guy onboard the USS Enterprise, but how could he not want one?

Jeff's Ratatatouille Joke

The dead rat in the pool wasn't even the first mention in the episode of a character doing something strange with a rodent (or at least sharing a story about it). When Jeff showed up late for...breakfast or whatever the family meets up around the dining room table for, he first celebrates doing a chore without being told, and then explains why it took him over an hour to take the trash out, saying:

Maybe having to deal with Jeff during the car theft was enough to make that rat want to jump into the pool to end its own life. Or maybe that was just a different rat, and the Smith's house is surrounded by them.

Roger And Rogu Make Simpsons Jokes

The less said about Roger's Season 20 premiere narrative arc, the better, since it involves his "drain," as he so elequently puts it at one point. The issue keeping him from the pool party story is a missing costume mustache. When Klaus asks why he can't just use another fake 'stache, Roger totally reveals the state where The Simpsons has been set all this time. (Or not.)

I think I'd be slightly more shocked to learn that one of The Simpsons’ funniest characters has actually been a space alien this whole time, as opposed to learning that Springfield is located in Michigan. I guess there are ways to try and prove that both can be true. But for that, we'd need all the elements for our detective character, and it looks like Rogu slurped those up, too. But as he put it, sounding not quite like Bart Simpson in doing so:

Gotta love that the show then took a shot at Ricky Spanish fanatics like myself by having Roger tell the whispering voice to shut up. My kingdom for another Ricky Spanish episode, though.

American Dad airs Sunday nights on Fox at 9:00 p.m. ET, and streams the next day via Hulu subscription. Will next week’s episode feature a sequence worthy of making it to the excellent American Dad’s Greatest Hits collection? I’ll never tell. (But yes.)

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has an incredible cast, and while everyone in the ensemble has had their moments, it's fair to say Sandro Rosta has shouldered the lion's share of scenes as one of its leads. It's an impressive accomplishment considering this is his first television series fresh out of acting school, and CinemaBlend had to ask how he felt acting alongside Oscar-winner Holly Hunter.

Rosta and co-star Zoë Steiner were both onhand to speak to me ahead of their latest episode, and while I loved hearing about the mind space and how real it was, I was fascinated to hear more from Rosta, who hadn't done hardly any acting in Hollywood ahead of Starfleet Academy. His IMDB credits list one short film beyond his role in the series available with a Paramount+ subscription, but I was surprised to hear nerves weren't much of a problem for him. The actor credited that to veteran Holly Hunter, and shared what she brought to their scenes specifically, saying:

That's exactly what I'd expect from an actor of Hunter's caliber, but it's great to hear Sandro Rosta express that all the same. He has held his own in his scenes not only with her, but also another Oscar-winner on the cast, Paul Giamatti. That's a whole highlight reel right there.

The actor had more to share about how great Holly Hunter was to work with. That's great, considering they're going to presumably continue working together in Season 2, so he can likely expect more of this treatment from his co-star. In his words:

Sandro Rosta and the rest of the young cast have received lots of acclaim from critics and audiences alike. It isn't hard to see the young adults of the group representing a new generation faced with a rapidly evolving world rife with conflict and see the mirror it's pointing back at society.

Right now, the cast is still hard at work and filming Season 2, though we're still a little over halfway through the release of Season 1. The good news is we could have a trailer for the new season before the 2026 TV schedule is up, or at least a clip showing off Sandro Rosta and the young crew continuing to represent the next era of Starfleet.

As such, the series received and continues to receive criticism for its content, with even government officials speaking out. The noise doesn't seem to bother the cast at all, with Karim Diané giving a mic drop statement to CinemaBlend about why he's proud to be a part of the series.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams new episodes on Thursdays only on Paramount+. Season 1 is officially in the back half, and I can't wait to see how it sets the stage for Season 2, and what's next for the cadets as they continue their journeys in the 32nd century.

I've been beating the drum that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is one of the best new shows in the franchise yet, and somehow, it is doing it like no other modern show before it has. To me, it even reminds me of The Next Generation and other shows of the era, and I'd struggled to explain why until I spoke to Tawny Newsome.

A lifelong Trekkie and former star of Lower Decks, Newsome is now a gleeful writer for Starfleet Academy, and she was putting up what I was putting down when I shared my thoughts during a recent conversation about her episode "Series Acclimation Mil." After telling me she thought comparing the series to any writing of that era was a massive compliment, she shared what she felt may connect the two when it comes to storytelling:

Newsome did go on to say that there are occasional "big stakes" in Starfleet Academy, as is the case with all Star Trek shows. At the same time, she emphasized the "balance of stakes" in a season, which was present in previous shows when looking at some of TNG's best episodes.

Surprisingly, the actress and writer also brought up campiness, which led to some of the most WTF moments in TNG and other shows like Voyager. Tawny Newsome noted that while it's important for Star Trek to get serious, it's also important to lean into the silliness when possible and have some fun:

I love hearing this from Tawny Newsome, especially as someone who would agree that while I loved Star Trek: Discovery, it did occasionally take itself too seriously. With Starfleet Academy sharing some of the same cast and the same future time period, it seems the show has found a way to stand on its own, without relying on the same tone.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is midway through its run on the 2026 TV schedule and has given us different looks at what the series can be. Sometimes it can be a deep tribute to Deep Space Nine and the legacy of actor Avery Brooks. It can also be an episode that revolves around a prank war, and has an over-the-top laser tag scene mixed in.

Both were good, and as Tawny Newsome said, both are Star Trek. The fate of the galaxy doesn't have to be on the line to keep fans invested, and there's plenty of evidence available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Here's hoping this is the first of many great episodes she'll write, as we wait on the rest of Season 1 and Season 2.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. This season is flying by, so those who haven't had a chance to check it out yet should get caught up on streaming and get ready for what should be some eventful episodes in the coming weeks.

For decades, Whoopi Goldberg has been a constant in American culture, outspoken, curious, impossible to flatten into one lane. She’s a member of the rare EGOT winners club, a comedian, an activist, and a fixture on daytime television. But one of the most enduring chapters of her career came not from a studio pitch or a casting call, but from a candid, almost confrontational conversation about representation that changed Star Trek and sci-fi history forever.

That story resurfaced recently in a wide-ranging interview Goldberg had with Interview Magazine, where she reflected on her career and, more importantly, her love of science fiction. The most interesting point comes when she talks about how her connection to Star Trek ran deeper than simple fandom. Growing up and seeing Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura on the original Star Trek fundamentally shifted what she believed was possible, and not only in entertainment, but the future itself. She explained:

What surprised Goldberg then, and will probably surprise many fans now, is Roddenberry’s reaction. He didn’t immediately think her assessment was correct, and told her as much. The Sister Act franchise star continued:

And the rest, as they say, is history, whether or not those involved were entirely aware at the time. The character the late sci-fi pioneer created specifically for Goldberg was Guinan, the enigmatic bartender with centuries of wisdom, emotional authority without rank, and a presence that quietly shaped the moral center of the Enterprise.

The final connection came through LeVar Burton, already attached to the show as Geordi La Forge. When Whoopi Goldberg heard about the, at the time, upcoming Star Trek series in the works, she didn’t hesitate to let him know she wanted in. And in part because she was willing to articulate why representation mattered, she earned a distinguished place in Star Trek canon that still resonates decades later, thanks to her return in Picard.

It’s a reminder that even visionary creators don’t always see the full impact of their work in real time. Sometimes, it takes the outside looking in and the bravery to say, “This mattered to me,” and to insist that the future live up to its promise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is streaming, allowing anyone to revisit it or watch it for the very first time with a Paramount+ subscription. Or if you’re looking for something a bit more contemporary, the newest Trek series, Starfleet Academy, is a perfect blend of new meets old and exactly the kind of show old-time Trekies have been waiting for.

Even after all these years, Star Trek: The Next Generation remains the gold standard for hard sci-fi television. Beyond its many fantastic episodes and wonderful ensemble cast members that continue making headlines, the series had a knack for pulling in many notable guest stars during its run. Unfortunately, the cast had a bit of a reputation when it came to day-players, according to Jonathan Frakes, saying some thought they were "a--holes" after popping in and out.

The revelation came out during an episode of Dropping Names with Brent and Jonny, in which Frakes and co-host Brent Spiner welcomed on another TNG cast member, LeVar Burton. The actor and director brought up the pressure to memorize lines ahead of filming episodes on TNG, and how the cast as a whole thrived at bringing that together. As mentioned, though, he said that level of preparedness provided the fuel for an unfortunately negative reputation from outsiders who came into the show. As he put it:

Frakes was questioned by LeVar Burton on the descriptor and amended it to "rambunctious." Still, one can imagine the level of intimidation one might feel coming in as a guest star on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I know I'd hate to be the one-off actor who came in knowing that everyone in that room would have their lines memorized, and I'm expected to do the same!

Brent Spiner added that guest stars faced an additional challenge because Star Trek was a different beast when it came to dialogue. As actors on even the more modern shows would attest to, there's a specific cadence and words you'll find in this franchise that won't be anywhere else, to the point they need to be said out loud in advance before shooting:

The technobabble is a hurdle that even series regulars on the show, like Wil Wheaton, struggled with. I can imagine it was a real pain for a guest star coming in. Additionally, they had to adhere to the script and be "word perfect," so it wasn't like they could just improvise another line to get around it.

LeVar Burton added on to what Brent Spiner said, and made a comparison that maybe other actors wouldn't consider heading into Star Trek. The series had its own unique dialogue that was unlike other shows of the time, almost like performing a piece of classical literature:

Perhaps it's why Patrick Stewart, who had a decades-long tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company before joining Star Trek: The Next Generation, thrived so much on the series. Jean-Luc Picard remains one of Trek's best characters to this very day, and it's those performances that propelled Stewart further into the Hollywood mainstream.

Of course, times change, and more modern Star Trek shows are a little looser with the dialogue. Robert Picardo recently admitted it was a shift he had to make when joining Starfleet Academy, though stands behind the series as one of its strongest advocates all the same. After all, Trek is all about progress and change, right?

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, along with many other shows from the franchise. Throw on an episode today to remember why it's the gold standard of sci-fi, or just to see the wonderful cast on the bridge.

The internet is popping off with a bunch of 2026 Super Bowl ads, and between Kendall Jenner's Kardashian Curse and Budweiser's eagle, it's going to be hard for other companies to get attention during the big game. It's no surprise then that Kellogg's broke out the big guns, or should I say phasers, and got William Shatner for a big Raisin Bran spot.

Days after paparazzi caught him eating cereal in his car at a stoplight, Raisin Bran has revealed that "Shat is about to get real" in an ad prepped for Super Bowl LX. We only see the actor for a brief moment, which clearly channels Star Trek as he's sitting in a Captain's chair. Take a look:

Shatner may not be the man to take the reins of the Star Trek franchise, but damn, he can make a great commercial. I'm excited for this solely because I remember how iconic his Priceline ads were back in the day, and the comedic flair he can bring simply by being himself.

Of course, Shatner doesn't need to rely on his Star Trek knowledge (or lack thereof) because he has done a phenomenal job of creating his own brand over the years. Playing William Shatner, the guy from a sci-fi series, in a commercial is just as valuable as pretending to be Captain Kirk... if not moreso.

Whether that means this Raisin Bran ad will outshine Andy Samberg's Hellman's ad, or that wild Uber Eats commercial is another story. I don't think a brand like Kellogg's is going to go too over-the-top with its promotion, considering it's already a household name in the cereal industry. That said, I am eager to see what this ad brings to the table and whether Shatner can still sparkle amid all the conversation tied to Super Bowl LX.

In addition to all the commercial chatter, Super Bowl LX will be the long-awaited rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, which happened over a decade ago. Readers may not remember all the details of the game, but no doubt remember Malcolm Butler's goal line interception of Russell Wilson that sealed the game for the Patriots in its final moments.

I would say that while the game is a point of interest for many, the big topic surrounding this year is Bad Bunny's halftime performance. His being picked as the game's performer caused quite a polarizing response, to the point that even the President of the United States commented on it. Whatever the outcome of the game, it feels like this will be a night people are talking about for a long time.

Super Bowl LX is set to kick off on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8th. CinemaBlend is excited for the big night and all that may come from it, so be sure to check back in the day of the game and on the week leading up.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover episode with Lower Decks might be the most beloved episode of both series, and rightfully so. Though we're well into the 2026 TV schedule and approaching the third anniversary of its debut, we're still learning great things about it thanks to Jonathan Frakes, who recalled the famous "Riker" moment by Jack Quaid.

Frakes has a new podcast with actor Brent Spiner called Dropping Names With Brent & Jonny, and on the latest episode, they took questions from Trekkies. When asked how fun it was to direct the crossover "Those Old Scientists," Frakes decided to share this story about Quaid's impromptu "Riker" line he'd uttered when Boimler got on the saddle. In his words:

Jonathan Frakes confessed that he had to laugh whilst filming the scene, but who can blame him? The Riker Manuever is such a niche joke harkening back to when Frakes invented it while filming The Next Generation, so it was a perfect joke to bring into that moment. The line arguably should've been in the script in the first place, so I'm glad Quaid had the quick thinking to say it.

Fortunately, fans can't hear Frakes' chuckling on the final cut, but I'm glad they still used that take. I'm sure that initial impromptu move made by Quaid would've been the best and most natural looking take, and might have felt more hammed up if he had to refilm it time and again.

This story has me wanting to rewatch "Those Old Scientists" with my Paramount+ subscription, and it's making me sad all over again that Lower Decks was canceled. As for Strange New Worlds, we'll get Season 4 later this year, with the final season coming after that.

I've seen many fans beg Strange New Worlds' team for a sequel to the crossover with Lower Decks, but with the final season being abbreviated, I'm not sure it's going to happen. The show still has to introduce new actors who will join the TOS crew, and bring us up to when Kirk takes command of the Enterprise.

That said, there are ways to enjoy both shows even if they're ending, via a new one. Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome is on the writing staff of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which is getting great reviews from critics. Frakes is also attached to the series as a director, having worked on various shows in the franchise over the years. I'm not sure it'll ever get the chance to bring Jack Quaid's Boimler or Newsome's Mariner to the Academy through some temporal anomaly, but I would welcome that if it happened.

Episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and Starfleet Academy are all available to stream over on Paramount+. For those who have yet to check out the newest series, the first four episodes will be up by the end of January, so now would be a perfect time to binge them all and catch up.

If you’re a Star Trek fan who has a Paramount+ subscription, then you’ve been able keep up with the franchise’s TV offerings, starting with Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 (back when the platform was known as CBS All Access). Before that, though, Star Trek was chiefly kept in the public consciousness through the Kelvin timeline-set movies starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña and more. There have been numerous attempts to get another movie in this film series going, and Pine has sounded off with his thoughts about whether Star Trek 4 will actually happen.

This July will mark 10 years since Star Trek Beyond was released in theaters, and thus the last time we saw any of the crew members from this version of the USS Enterprise. However, since last year saw Paramount leadership changing due to the studio being acquired by Skydance, Variety asked Chris Pine at the Sundance Film Festival if he’s in the loop about what’s next in the Star Trek film front. He answered:

Chris Pine may be the face of the Kelvin Star Trek movies, but like the rest of us who aren’t Paramount studio executives, he’s in the dark about what’s next for the cinematic side of the Trek franchise. However, that’s not too surprising considering what Paramount reportedly has planned as of last November. Though the studio is looking to reinvigorate the Star Trek film series, it’s allegedly “moved on” from that happening with Star Trek 4. Meaning, there would be no reason to keep Pine and his cast-mates updated.

So unless news to the contrary is announced, it looks like we’ll have to put the final nail in this proverbial coffin and make peace with the Kelvin continuity consisting of just three movies. It’s the end of a saga that began when it was announced that Star Trek 4 would see Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk meeting his father, Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk, who died right after he was born. As for whether he has any advice for the new Paramount leadership on what to do with Star Trek, Pine said:

In addition to the tumultuous journey Star Trek 4’s development took, Paramount announced in early 2024 that it was moving forward with an “origins” Trek movie, though it was never made clear if it was going to be set in the Prime or Kelvin timeline. It’s a moot point either way, as that project has also fallen by the wayside following the Paramount/Skydance merger. As for this new movie that’s now supposedly going to get the film series moving again, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are writing the script. It’s also said to be a “completely new take” on the Star Trek universe unconnected to any of the previous movies and TV shows.

Though Star Trek’s silver screen future remains shrouded in mystery, the TV side of the franchise is anything but that. Starfleet Academy’s first season is airing on Paramount+, and Strange New Worlds Season 4 is also expected to premiere sometime on the 2026 TV schedule.

The latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to hit the 2026 TV schedule totally had a nod to one of the best sci-fi movie franchises of all time, the Alien films, and I cannot believe I missed it the first time around. What's even better is that the reference was inspired by one of the newest Trek cast members, with props going to Zoë Steiner for finding a way to honor Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley.

Steiner recently posted on Instagram Stories about the filming of "Vitus Reflex," available with a Paramount+ subscription. Thanks to a TikTok, she saw the trick shot Ripley hit in Alien: Resurrection, and decided then and there that Tarima would do the same:

As a brief aside, I love that basketball is still a sport in the distant future for both Star Trek and Alien. All the technical advancements in the world are no substitutes for a 2-on-2 pick-up game.

Going back to Steiner, she then began to post videos of her training at various courts, and surprisingly, making the behind-the-back shot. I would've guessed the shot being made was added in post-production, but after seeing her make it a few times in practice sessions, I'm going to say it was all skill.

Unfortunately, when it came time to film the actual scene, Zoë Steiner was hit with a curveball. She had prepared to use a standard basketball this entire time, only to learn on the day of shooting she'd be using something else:

I did have to chuckle at Steiner using the term "space" for the ball, considering the airless basketball is some relatively new modern technology in the sports world. That said, I've seen enough pros using the airless basketball to know that there is a difference in shooting it compared to a standard ball, so it's even more impressive that she was able to nail the shot.

Steiner's peek behind the curtain comes at a big time for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which is the talk of the fandom as the first new Trek series in years. Critics gave it positive reviews, but some bemoan it, including those in the highest offices of government.

Meanwhile, the cast is in the midst of filming Season 2, and hopefully cooking up new ways to honor the past on its impressive Academy set. As someone who is enjoying the series so far, I kind of hope that the new season addresses the polarizing response to it, seeing as it's a reflection of the times we live in.

Those in need of some new sci-fi should check out Star Trek: Starfleet Academy over on Paramount+ right now. As a longtime fan of the franchise, I genuinely haven't seen a series yet that manages to give us something entirely new, while still capturing the past energy of previous shows so well. Plus, Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter are just fantastic in it.

A new Star Trek series is available with a Paramount+ subscription, which means it's time once again for the fandom to fight about modern changes in the series and what is "authentic" to Gene Roddenberry's vision. This time around, however, we have people in government weighing in, including one person asking William Shatner to take control of the franchise.

Stephen Miller, United States Homeland Security Advisor, recently posted the message to Shatner hoping Paramount would bring him back to lead the franchise and its shows and movies into the future. For those who missed it, here's his post on X:

William Shatner offered a tongue-in-cheek response to the plea, but others replied to the comment with a lot of enthusiasm. As a longtime Trekkie with love for Shatner and the franchise, I have to talk about how terrible of an idea that is for those who may not be aware.

By His Own Admission, William Shatner Has Not And Will Not Actually Watch Star Trek

While he's definitely attended screenings of the movies and watched an episode here or there, William Shatner has never actually regularly watched or kept up with Star Trek. In general, he's said he doesn't watch a lot of television, but he especially doesn't like watching things he's been in. This may be breaking news to a more casual audience, but most Trekkies know because he frequently says as much at appearances, and he does a lot of those.

I think the reason why the mainstream is often confused by this fact is that Shatner has offered up his opinion many times over the years about things that Star Trek should or shouldn't be doing. Anyone is free to express their opinion, of course, but it should be noted that his opinion is largely formed by hearing comments from people replying to his social media posts or taking photos with him at conventions. To say his finger is on the pulse for anything Star Trek has done since he wrapped working on TOS would be disingenuous, to say the least.

He Co-Wrote And Directed One Of The Worst Star Trek Movies

As Captain Kirk, William Shatner played one of Star Trek's best characters, but let's not forget he's also responsible for one of the worst movies the franchise ever made. Shatner co-wrote and directed The Final Frontier, a movie that, again, he himself has admitted sucks.

Granted, Shatner has maintained that had he been able to do the story the way he wanted, and had the budget it warranted, the movie wouldn't be as it is. Unless there was a temporal distortion that allowed us to see a timeline in which that happened and measured it up against reality, we're never going to know the answer to whether that's true. For now, we live in the reality in which the version we saw is all we have, and it won a Golden Razzie for the effort.

William Shatner Is 94 Years Old

He may be the most active nonagenarian on the planet, but there's no denying age is a factor when it comes to selecting the person to shape the future of a franchise. At 94 years old, I doubt he's itching to spend his days in meetings developing Star Trek television programming, and even if he were, I'd question whether the studio would extend him the offer to do that.

Speaking to Star Trek specifically, which just launched the critically-acclaimed Starfleet Academy, we're looking at a franchise that is trying to draw in a younger audience. Not to be cynical, but I don't know of many 90-year-olds that can accurately peg down the things the current young generation is into. I think that task is best left to the people currently working in the industry, as new voices and fresh faces come into the shows.

Star Trek, by design, is meant to change and evolve. The reason it doesn't go back to the moral message and storytelling of the '60s is that these aren't the messages we need to hear right now. Sure, there are parallels we can look at and liken modern issues to, but we're past the point of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" needing to be the strongest moral message the franchise can send.

He's Been A Poster Boy Of Discouraging Progressive Ideas In Trek...Which Is The Point Of The Franchise

Once again, William Shatner hasn't kept up with Star Trek that had nothing to do with him, and is largely unfamiliar with even some of his old episodes. This led to a pretty wild moment during San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, in which he stated creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he learned of some of the things happening in modern shows.

The quote was used as a rallying cry for those critical of Star Trek in the past decade, with some suggesting Roddenberry would be against inclusive casting or some of the ideals being promoted. CinemaBlend spoke to Shatner to get clarity on what he meant a couple of years later, and the star said he was referring to sexual relationships between crew members.

This somewhat goes back to Shatner being ignorant of Star Trek, but sexual relationships between crew members have happened in the franchise for a very long time. If we want to get technical, Captain Kirk oversaw the marriage of two crew members in "Balance Of Terror." Sex between crew members has been a part of the franchise for quite a long time.

It's unclear if William Shatner shares any of the more extreme views some critics of Star Trek have, so I won't speak to that. What I will say is it seems he draws a crowd of supporters that speak out about "DEI" and "woke" in his comments, and I think if he were put in charge, there'd be an expectation for him to end that.

Alex Kurtzman May Be Signing A New Deal

It's true that Alex Kurtzman, who has overseen Star Trek's big relaunch on streaming since the launch of Discovery, has a deal with Paramount Skydance that expires in 2026. While some have speculated he'll exit the franchise, Kurtzman suggested to CinemaBlend he'll sign a new deal, though he had to be vague in wording given he couldn't publicly comment on what's happening behind closed doors.

If that happens, then it's clear that Paramount Skydance is pleased enough with Alex Kurtzman and what he's done so far to trust him with the future of Star Trek a little longer. I think that's a smart move given all the successes we've seen in recent years, but if others think William Shatner is the answer given his limited experience, knowledge of the subject and age, who am I to judge?

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Check out the new series, as well as classic Trek shows, as we await news of some sort about who will guide the franchise in the coming years.