I’ve been on the more forgiving side of the new Star Trek Universe that’s taken shape on TV/streaming. I enjoyed Star Trek: Discovery for the bold swings it took at re-invention; I appreciated the nostalgic delight of seeing Patrick Stewart and Co. continue the adventures of Jean-Luc Picard and The Next Generation crew, and have even been impressed wth the brands attempt at diversifying into animated comedy/satire (Lower Decks) and children’s programming (Prodigy). The premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in 2022 felt like a coronation of sorts: “New” Star Trek finding perfect balance with the spirit and sci-fi storytelling of the original series.
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However, since Strange New Worlds arrived, Star Trek has felt like it’s in something of a rut. Many of its series (Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy) were cancelled between 2023 and 2024; meanwhile, only one new series has been announced, Starfleet Academy, but it still has yet to set a firm release date. The first of the Star Trek Universe films, Section 31, landed with a major “thud” despite years of fan anticipation and left big questions hanging over the future of Star Trek features on streaming platforms. Now comes news that Strange New Worlds is ending in Season 5, adding a dour note to excitement for the show’s upcoming third season.
As of now, the ending of Strange New Worlds and the beginning of Starfleet Academy look like the only onscreen content we’re getting from Star Trek between 2025 and 2027. So the question is…
What Is Going On With Star Trek Right Now?
Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) followed every other Hollywood studio in betting too heavily on the COVID pandemic and its cultural shift to streaming content. Excluding Discovery, every one of the new Star Trek streaming series has been part of a larger strategy to build “blocks” of content on studio streaming platforms like Paramount+; in 2024, that bubble finally started to burst as consumers refused to commit to paying for multiple streaming services, with each offering fragmented libraries of “exclusive” content. Like the Star Wars Universe projects on Disney+, Paramount+ saw diminishing returns, critically and commercially, with additional seasons of its various Star Trek series. At this point, Paramount+ as a whole has gone down in brand value, and Star Trek right along with it. On the movie side, any efforts to either continue J.J. Abrams’ alt-universe canon with Star Trek 4 or get a new installment under a different director have all been stalled for years.
Then there’s been the high-profile sale between Paramount and Skydance, which has forced the former to reconsider its entire portfolio of assets (including, full disclosure, the sale of this very site). With Strange New Worlds now having a clear ending date, it seems like the Star Trek end of the portfolio is presumably being trimmed down to fit the parameters of the Paramount-Skydance deal – a deal which, by the way, is still facing serious hurdles before completion. Two series seem to be the entirety of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
However, the larger question is what should Star Trek be in its next iteration? More than ever, sci-fi fans need a hopeful vision of the future to believe in, and you would think Star Trek would be the first franchise filling that void. Starfleet Academy seems like it could have YA appeal, but fans are still waiting on the next big project that gives the franchise a shot of new life. Is that a film? Or maybe a refined series reboot like the Star Trek Legacy series fans want? You tell us in the comments.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 begins on Thursday, July 17th, with new episodes every Thursday through September 11th on Paramount+. Season 4 is in production now. Starfleet Academy is expected to premiere sometime in 2025-2026.
