Highlights
- The Star Trek Universe panel at SDCC 2024 was a whopping two and a half hours and revealed updates for Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, Starfleet Academy and Section 31.
- Justin Simien and Lower Decks star and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy writer Newsome are working on a new live-action Star Trek comedy.
- Trailers for Strange New Worlds and Section 31 were shown and can be watched below.
Today, the Star Trek Universe panel beamed back into San Diego Comic-Con’s famous Hall H. With it came plenty of news about the future of the Franchise.
The two-and-a-half-hour panel was moderated by Justin Simien (Dear White People). Here’s what we learned at SDCC 2024 about what’s on the horizon for the Star Trek Universe.
RELATED: Check out GGA’s SDCC 2024 content here!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
The first panel shined the spotlight on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3. Cast members Anson Mount (Christopher Pike) (unavailable due to “an unforeseen personal commitment“), Rebecca Romijn (Una Chin-Riley) and Ethan Peck (Spock) appeared. They were joined by executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers.
During the panel, a first look at Strange New Worlds was shared. You can watch that video below. It sees the USS Enterprise all-stars going full Vulcan. And logically, that’s more than half Vulcan, isn’t it, Spock?
RELATED: Did You Catch This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds First-Look Image?
Also revealed was the return of another legacy Star Trek character: Doctor Roger Korby. Previously mentioned in Strange New Worlds Season 2, Korby will be played by Cillian O’Sullivan. Another bit of casting news is that Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn), introduced in the Season 2 finale, will be a series regular.
Furthermore, Jonathan Frakes returns to direct another episode this season: a “Hollywood-style murder mystery.” And Goldsman assures us that the Season 2 finale cliffhanger will be resolved in the first episode of Strange New Worlds Season 2. Other updates include a response that Kurtzman had to a question about deaf representation. He assured us we will see it on Starfleet Academy. And it’s possible that “Subspace Rhapsody” could be heading to the stage.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Next up was the Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 segment of the panel. Cast members Jack Quaid (Bradward Boimler), Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner), Noël Wells (D’Vana Tendi) and Jerry O’Connell (Jack Ransom) took the stage. Joining them was creator and executive producer Mike McMahan and executive producer Kurtzman. McMahan confirmed that they knew the show’s fifth season would be its last, and so made it a celebration of Lower Decks and Star Trek in general.
A teaser for Lower Decks Season 5 was debuted during the panel. The teaser’s opening paid homage to the teaser trailer for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Lower Decks season 5 promises Klingon and Orion action, a parallel universe USS Cerritos crew and many other exciting glimpses of the upcoming season. Lower Decks Season 5 will be available for streaming on Paramount+ on October 24, 2024.
Other interesting bits of information include that while Tendi will be seen on Orion with her sister, she will also be returning to Starfleet. Wells also confirmed that she would be willing to play Tendi in live-action. O’Connell mentioned that Lower Decks had allowed him to grow closer to his Stand By Me co-star Wil Wheaton. Kurtzman advised that the way to get Lower Decks was to stream it over and over again. And of course, the audience eventually inevitably erupted in a “Lower Decks” cheer.
New Star Trek Series
It was announced that panel moderator Simien was working with Kurtzman and Lower Decks star and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy writer Newsome on a new live-action Star Trek comedy. The series will follow “Federation Outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet [who] find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant.”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
And then came the SDCC debut of Starfleet Academy. This portion of the panel featured executive producers and co-showrunners Kurtzman and Noga Landau.
Production on the series will begin in Toronto soon. It was revealed that because Paul Giamatti mentioned his Star Trek fandom in a press interview, Kurtzman reached out to him about Starfleet Academy. Giamatti asked to be cast as the show’s villain.
RELATED: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Gina Yashere Beams Into Recurring Role
The panel revealed the return of several legacy characters. As expected, Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) will return as a guest star. Also returning will be Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) as a series regular. Meanwhile, Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) will be returning as well. But the most surprising legacy character has yet to be seen in the 32nd century: The Doctor (Robert Picardo). Apparently, mentoring those kids in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 had a lasting effect on the Emergency Medical Hologram.
While no footage is available from the upcoming series, a video of Kurtzman and Landau welcoming the actors who will play the cadets was shared.
Star Trek: Section 31
Rounding out the panel was a segment on Star Trek: Section 31, the upcoming special event movie. Cast members Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson and Kacey Rohl (Rachel Garrett) appeared. Also appearing were executive producer Kurtzman and director Olatunde Osunsanmi.
It was revealed that Section 31 is almost done being edited. Furthermore, if fans react positively, more special event movies could be in the works. A teaser for Section 31 was released as well. It features glimpses of the supporting cast and an arresting soundtrack that helps explain why Hardwick compared the movie to “Guardians of the Galaxy on steroids.” Check out the official Star Trek: Section 31 teaser trailer below.
RELATED: Star Trek: Section 31: Cast Will Include a Young [Spoiler]
The movie will also reveal the Mirror Universe past of Georgiou. Her younger counterpart will be played by Miku Martineau. Richardson is playing a Chameloid, which must be handy if you’re a Section 31 agent.
Star Trek Universe Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
Finally, Kurtzman strongly hinted that a crossover between Star Trek and Doctor Who would be announced at the Star Trek x Doctor Who panel later in the day.
Which one of the announcements made at the Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 made you most excited? Which one of the new and/or returning shows are you most excited to watch when it arrives on streaming? And have you heard the rumors of Moopsy breakouts at the Star Trek “menage” booth? Be sure and let Geek Girl Authority know in the comment section!
Catch up on the previously released Star Trek movies and shows, which are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
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