Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kicked off Season 4, which means we officially only have fifteen more episodes until the series ends. Granted, we won't see the final six episodes until after the 2026 TV schedule is over, but with San Diego Comic-Con coming and going without any major franchise announcements, it's hard not to wonder what's next. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have anything planned, but that could change.
I had a chance to speak to the duo ahead of the premiere being available with a Paramount+ subscription, and had to know what both men have planned for the future. Perhaps sensing I was trying to find a subtle way to ask if their pitched sequel for the series was happening, they said this:
You know, [we're] really thrilled to have gotten a chance to be thoughtful about trying to brush up against the edge of TOS. That's always been our outcome, goal; that's where, at least for now, we leave you. Henry and I have both been for quite a while singularly focused on this show. And so our goal is to end that with grace and joy and hope. And then, you know, we're around if anybody has another idea.
It's the big question on everyone's mind as there are currently zero Star Trek shows in active development, despite it being the 60th anniversary. Based on the latest Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, it would appear that the franchise is in a holding pattern, at least for television, until Alex Kurtzman's contract expires later this year.
Either that, or the priority is to get Star Trek back on the big screen, which is a noble cause. It's been a decade since the franchise had a theatrical release, and while Section 31 was a Trek movie made for streaming, it wasn't well-received.
For now, fans have been burned so often with promises of a movie that it's just not top of mind for some. Many would rather see a stronger lineup of shows for streaming on the horizon, as we've seen in the past number of years.
Here's hoping that Paramount+ has the same plans, and that it's just waiting to name a new head of the franchise before we start seeing more shows put in development. Maybe with a new face running the franchise, projects like Star Trek: Year One could actually see the light of day.
Some might point to the fact that Star Trek: Picard never got a follow-up as evidence that a Strange New Worlds spinoff is dead in the water, but I think the situation is different. When fans were begging for Star Trek: Legacy, Paramount already had different projects in the works. Now, with a potential clean slate, it feels like a Paul Wesley-led spinoff could almost certainly happen with fewer hurdles to jump through.
Unfortunately, we can only speculate, which remains a point of frustration for fans. It feels like there are so many questions surrounding Star Trek, and zero answers. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be a different story when New York Comic-Con rolls around in October.
Before that, check out the preview shared with those in attendance at SDCC.
We have new episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to enjoy on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Season 4 is widely cited as one of the best by the cast, so I'm eager to see if the fans agree!
