Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has received an early renewal and a new cast member out of New York Comic Con. The upcoming Starfleet Academy is a new Paramount+ show that is set to be the 12th series in the overarching Star Trek franchise. Created by Gaia Violo, it will star Holly Hunter, Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, Karim Diané, Zoë Steiner, Tig Notaro, Robert Picardo and Sandro Rosta and follow the first group of Academy cadets in over 100 years.
Screen Rant was in attendance at the Star Trek Universe panel at New York Comic Con. During a special livestream from the set in Toronto, co-showrunner and executive producer Alex Kurtzman announced that Starfleet Academy has been renewed for season 2. This news comes before the premiere of season 1, which is currently in production and is expected to debut in either 2025 or 2026. Paramount+ also announced that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law star Tatiana Maslany had joined the show as a special recurring guest star in season 1, in an as-yet unknown role.
What This Means For Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
The Show Is Starting Off Strong
Both updates shared at New York Comic Con spell good news for the upcoming Star Trek show. Increasing its recurring and guest cast, which already includes Paul Giamatti, Gina Yashere, Mary Wiseman, and Oded Fehr, makes it seem as though the show is an enticement for a variety of established stars in addition to the well-known actors who are already part of the cast of series regulars. The fact that it has already been renewed also shows that producers are confident that the show will be a similar draw for audiences.
Mary Wiseman has starred in all five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery as Lt. Sylvia Tilly.
It seems possible that Starfleet Academy is being positioned as a flagship program of the Star Trek franchise, taking a place alongside Strange New Worlds as one of its leading live-action shows. This comes with perfect timing, as many of the key original series that launched Paramount+'s continuation of the universe are coming to an end or have recently gone off the air. This includes Picard, which ended in 2023, Discovery, which ended in 2024, and the animated Lower Decks, which begins its final season on October 24.
Our Take On The Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy News
The Show Has Made A Wise Casting Choice
One decision that will likely help aid the longevity of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the inclusion of Tatiana Maslany. Before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor turned out an Emmy-winning performance in the Canadian sci-fi show Orphan Black, proving her ability to lead a genre program with a groundbreaking performance as multiple clones with different personalities. She brings that pedigree to her recurring role in this iconic sci-fi franchise, and is likely to imbue her character with compelling humanity, whatever species it turns out to be.
