Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - What We Know So Far

Star Trek fans sure have been eating well lately. Star Trek: Discovery is getting a third season, Patrick Stewart is reprising the iconic character of Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: Picard, and the upcoming animated spin-off Star Trek: Lower Decks looks set to bring a new comedic dimension to the franchise. If you count yourself among the Trekkies, then you'd better make room on your plate, because there is also the upcoming prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to look forward to.

CBS first broke the news that yet another new Star Trek show was in production for CBS All Access back in May. Like Star Trek: Discovery, this new entry into the franchise is a prequel to the original Star Trek series, and focuses on Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, and Spock. While the series is still in the early stages of production, the Star Trek Universe panel at Comic-Con@Home gave us some new information about the state of the upcoming show.

Now that we have a fresh update, let's lay out everything we know so far about the release date, cast, and plot of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

There still isn't an official release date (or even a release window) for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the continued uncertainty surrounding the TV and film industry makes it even harder to say. However, thanks to the Star Trek Universe panel during Comic-Con@Home, we have some updates on how the new series is coming along.

One of the show's executive producers, Alex Kurtzman, said when asked about the status of the show, "The [writer's] room has started. There are ten stories broken, which is very exciting, and they're just sort of at the beginning, but it was one of those shows that I think everybody came in with such enthusiasm, and so much love."

Based on Kurtzman's statement, it sounds like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is still working on its scripts and story outlines. But it's also an indication that the series is moving right along, and it will hopefully mean that production could begin sometime in the near future. Going on what we know, it sounds like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could premiere in late 2021 or early 2022.

Thanks to the place Star Trek: Strange New Worlds occupies in the larger timeline of the franchise, we know who some of the main characters of the series will be, and who will be playing them. At the time of writing, CBS has confirmed three stars for the series: Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck. All three actors previously appeared on Star Trek: Discovery, and will be reprising their roles as Captain Pike, Number One, and Science Officer Spock, respectively.

While there haven't been any other casting announcements, we wouldn't be surprised if more Star Trek: Discovery stars crossed over to make appearances on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. There's also the prospect of other classic Star Trek characters popping up on the show. One strong possibility is the character of Dr. Phillip Boyce, who was introduced alongside Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock in the original Star Trek pilot (more on that in a moment), but didn't make an appearance in Star Trek: Discovery.

As Kurtzman stated in his Star Trek Universe panel appearance, the stories for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are still being hashed out. However, we do know a bit about the plot of the show thanks to how it fits into the timeline of the franchise. According to CBS, the show will "follow [Pike, Number One, and Spock] in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy."

Before the original Star Trek series starring William Shatner as Captain Kirk premiered, there was a different pilot shot for the show that was ultimately scrapped by the network. This episode was called "The Cage," and it featured the three lead characters of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In that episode, the Enterprise was commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), with help from his first officer, Number One (Majel Barrett), and Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy). When the series was revamped, Kirk was introduced as the new captain of the Enterprise, and while Spock was the only character to appear in the new series in a major capacity, Pike and Number One were still considered canon.

So, this new series will be exploring roughly the time period that the original pilot was set in. There's no telling exactly what adventures they'll be getting into, but for fans of the series, it should be a thrilling exploration of the larger Star Trek universe.

Even though we still don't know much about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, what we have learned has us very excited for the series. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until next Comic-Con to hear more.