At San Diego Comic-Con, the creative team behind Star Trek: Strange New Worlds announced they intend to conclude the series with its fifth season — though they’re eager to keep telling Star Trek stories. In fact, they revealed they “100 percent” have a dream project in mind: a spinoff focusing on Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk during his first year as captain.
"Nothing would make us happier than continuing to explore how Pike’s crew transitions to Kirk’s command, and how Kirk’s team begins their journey," Strange New Worlds showrunner Henry Alonso Myers told Entertainment Weekly at SDCC.
"When we look at The Original Series, it’s clear these aren’t their first days on the job… foundational relationships are already in place. How did those bonds form? We have opportunities to delve into Sulu’s backstory, explore McCoy’s earlier career, and introduce Chekov. It would be incredible to keep exploring these threads."
Myers also shared that he and fellow showrunner Akiva Goldsman have envisioned futures for characters who don’t appear in established canon after Strange New Worlds, noting that "just because they’re not seen doesn’t mean they’re gone."
That said, Myers and Goldsman are encouraging fans to voice their interest in a prequel series. "We’re dreaming out loud," Myers said about persuading the network to greenlight another show. "We like to remind them, 'Hey, you already have these amazing sets. You own them, and they’re profitable.'"
Of course, they still have a series to complete — and the pressure is on to end it strongly. "No matter what dreams we have for after Strange New Worlds, we have to nail the finale first," Myers added. With the third episode of season 3 screened early at SDCC and season 4 recently wrapped, season 5 is already on the horizon. If fans make enough noise, that prequel series could arrive sooner than expected.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently streaming on Paramount+.
