Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to Conclude with Fifth Season on Paramount+
In a bittersweet announcement, Paramount+ has confirmed that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will come to an end with its fifth season. The news was revealed on [date] and has sent shockwaves throughout the Star Trek fandom.
According to a joint statement from executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Alex Kurtzman, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, "From the very beginning, Strange New Worlds set out to honor what Star Trek has always stood for — boundless curiosity, hope and the belief that a better future is possible." The trio expressed their gratitude to Paramount+ for allowing them to complete their five-season mission, saying, "We’re deeply grateful to Paramount+ for the chance to complete our five-season mission, just as we envisioned it, alongside our extraordinary cast and crew."
The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will consist of six episodes, a departure from the previous seasons, which had 10 episodes each. The show’s third season is set to premiere on Thursday, July 17, with a fourth season already in production. The fifth season is expected to begin production later this year, with no premiere dates announced yet. Fans can expect the series to conclude around 2027 or 2028.
As a prequel to The Original Series, fans have long anticipated Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew to eventually catch up to the classic show’s timeline. With the creative team having advance notice of the show’s conclusion, it is likely that this will occur in the fifth season. In an interview with Collider, Goldsman hinted at the possibility, saying, "Left to our own devices — which really means if Paramount will [let us] — we’ll keep going into the TOS era. And we know how. That’s the hope."
The news comes amid Paramount Global’s efforts to cut costs, announcing a 15% reduction in its U.S.-based workforce due to industry economic headwinds. Despite this, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been a critical and commercial success, becoming the most-watched Paramount+ Trek TV series and earning a nomination for Best Drama by the Critics Choice Awards in 2023.
The show’s success can be attributed to its return to traditional, exploration-based episodic storytelling, reminiscent of the 1966 original series. The result has been a thrilling and optimistic show that has resonated with fans. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the show’s producing team, led by Kurtzman, decided to return to this format after launching a new era of heavily serialized Star Trek shows with Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard.
In addition to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paramount+ has another series in the works: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, from showrunner Noga Landau. The show follows a new young class of Starfleet cadets as they train to be officers and stars Holly Hunter as a Starfleet captain who leads the Academy. Starfleet Academy wrapped filming in February and is expected to debut either later this year or early 2026.
As for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season three, Anson Mount is joined on the bridge by Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Martin Quinn. Guest stars this season include Rhys Darby, Patton Oswalt, Cillian O’Sullivan, Melanie Scrofano, and Carol Kane, who returns as the quirky Lanthanite, Pelia. Paul Wesley also returns as Captain James T. Kirk. The third season promises "thrilling adventures of faith, duty, romance, comedy and mystery, with varying genres never before seen on any other Star Trek," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
