"Nostalgia" is the watchword that guides the outfitting of Paramount+'s Star Trek; Strange New Worlds, according to costume designer Bernadette Croft. Having previously been an assistant to Star Trek: Discovery costume designer Gersha Phillips, Croft moved on to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds when work on the spinoff series began. Now in its second season, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. As Croft tells ComicBook.com in an interview via video call, much of her work on the Star Trek streaming series is about modernizing the look of the original 1960s series, whether that developing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' classy but casual iteration of the Starfleet uniform and bringing the Klingons back closer to their original sense of fashion.

"Leaning into the nostalgia, elevating some of those original ideas that the costume designer at the time, William Ware Theiss, had, updating the fabrics, the technologies that we use, the processes, and leaning into color a little bit more, the vibrancy," Croft says of her work. "Other shows are a little darker, a little more monochromatic in terms of the grayscale and you can't really see what's going on sometimes. But on Strange New Worlds, it is just a little bit more powerful because you can see all that color and that vibrancy.

During our conversation, Croft touched on her approach to the Klingons, bringing Star Trek: Lower Decks' animated designs into live-action for the crossover episode, why the show brought back the green tunic that appeared seemingly at random in Star Trek: The Original Series, and why the fairytale-like "The Elysian Kingdom" is being submitted for Emmy Awards consideration. Here's what she had to say:

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. How familiar were you with that series before starting to work on Star Trek yourself? Were you a fan? Did you have to do some homework or did you immediately have ideas about how things should look?

Bernadette Croft: No, I definitely had to do my homework. I didn't grow up watching it. My mom did. She loved it, but I wasn't really introduced to Trek until I worked with Gersha Phillips on Discovery. I was her assistant costume designer, and I, later on, co-designed a couple of episodes with her. So I'll have to thank her for opening me up into this magical world because since then I've like devoured most of Star Trek and I just love it, especially Lower Decks. That's my favorite Star Trek show. I'm glad that I found that later in life.

Since you mentioned Lower Decks, were you the one responsible for translating those beautiful animated costumes into the beautiful live-action costumes that we see in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 trailer? What challenges were there in adding a dimension, literally, to that look?

We're essentially inspired by animation, these tiny little figures, and we have to transport that idea to human people. Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid are both quite tall humans -- Jack Quaid's like 6'3', 6'4", or something like that -- so we had to make sure we honor the animation, but also for it to make sense in our Strange New Worlds visual landscape.

The fabric is actually the same as our Strange New Worlds uniforms, we just backed it with neoprene to make it a little bit more buoyant. It floated off the body a little bit, and it's very, very smooth. We didn't add any microprint because our series creator was just like, "Let's just leave that out. Let's just make it really simple." So we honored them there and didn't add any microprint like we do on our Strange New Worlds uniforms.

We just had to really look at the details: the Lower Decks have an emblem on the sole of their boot, Mariner kind of folds her uniform three-quarters of the way up, and little things like that -- she's kind of a bit more nonchalant, she's got that scrunchy in her hair -- there were all these little details that we had to really pay attention to.

Speaking of Starfleet uniforms. What was the mission brief when it came to the uniforms we see in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the changes made from the Enterprise uniforms we saw in Star Trek: Discovery to something that looks more like the uniforms in Star Trek; The Original Series? What was the idea there, and were there any particular challenges, or problems you had to fix as you went?

The biggest issue was that we were developing these costumes during COVID, so a lot of our manufacturers were closed. It was really hard to get materials. Whenever we ordered something online, it came sometimes, and then sometimes it just didn't, it didn't show up. But luckily, Gersha was working on Discovery at the time, so we actually borrowed a lot of fabrics from her, like trims, zippers, thread, all of the basic things that we needed to get our costume shop off the ground.

But in terms of the design, we knew it was going to be important. We knew Strange New Worlds had to lean into the nostalgia of the original series, but still elevate it for today's audiences. And I think today's audiences, they expect a certain level of production value, and we wanted to pay tribute also to what Gersha has done on Discovery with that more of a heroic silhouette. It's a little bit more formal, but we also wanted to make it casual. So linking those two shows together, that was a bit of a challenge.

I think, in the end, we offered up 30 options to our showrunners and they essentially chose what we see on our screens today, and I think they made a great choice. I think it's still simple, it's classic, it's casual, it's still colorful, but we've got the detail, like the micro-print, the silhouette's really strong, and the actors have said that it's comfortable. So we've got that on our side as well.

Is the COVID-19 pandemic part of why you turned to 3D printing for certain pieces? I know you sued it for some of the crowns and jewelry in "The Elysian Kingdom." Or was there more to it than that?

We want everything to be unique, memorable. We want to add that production value. So certain detail we often have to hand sculpt, but with 3D printing it's much faster. When you don't have a lot of prep time for episodes -- for us it's like two weeks -- we need to make sure we infuse these episodes with as much detail, as much production value. So often 3D printing is the way to go, and it really is essential for us to keep on budget, to keep within the timeframe, but also to infuse that detail to ground the costumes in something that seems realistic, I would say.

What was your reaction when you first saw the script for "The Elysian Kingdom"? Were you surprised by suddenly having to craft all of these fairytale looks for this sci-fi show?

No, I literally thought it was a dream come true. I love fantasy. I was a fantasy kid, more so than sci-fi as a kid, so I thought they were delivering us gold. I was like, "Thank you very much for this costume episode." The costumes are so vivid, they're whimsical, they're eclectic. I designed the episode through the eyes of Rukiya, who's the 10-year-old girl in the episode, and I think kids just have such a vivid imagination, and they don't think genre, they don't think a specific time period, they just think whatever is fantastic. So that was my design brief, just design fantastic costumes that could be in this fantasy world in space. So I was really thankful to Onitra Johnson and Akela Cooper for that wonderful script. And it happens again in Season 2. We've got some really amazing episodes that are costume-heavy, which we always love. Not every episode is like that, obviously, but we really love it when we can really show what we can do.

I was going to ask about that. So then Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 is going to give us another episode on that same level, costume-wise, as "The Elysian Kingdom"?

Yeah. I think the most extreme would probably be the Rigel VII costumes. That was an episode where the team, they're in disguises, they have to go to Rigel VII to this planet. We can tell by what they're wearing that the planet's got maybe extreme weather conditions. We can tell that it's kind of a bit of a medieval look. And when they land, they're expected to work under these conditions, and so their costumes emulate those conditions. So they're rough around the edges. The fabric's weathered, it's worn, it's broken down. The mud on the boots, you can see all that. So it's lots of detail that we wanted to infuse there. The guards' costumes were influenced by ancient Mongolian armor. It was an eclectic moment where we could bring a few elements together for this world, for Rigel VII.

Even Episode 1 was really fun. Those rebel Klingons in that down-and-dirty, gritty flea market scene, all of those kinds of costumes were fun to do as well. There are a few ones coming up. The crossover episode's really fun. And there's another one I can't really say, but yeah, you'll come to it.

You mentioned the Klingons. They look much closer to how they appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series here than they did when they appeared in Star Trek: Discovery. What was the approach there?

It came from our showrunners, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers. They wanted me to lean into the nostalgic TOS but elevate it. The Klingons were a real highlight. They're such an infamous and beloved alien, and in The Original Series, the costumes were these stretchy black and gold that looked like dance costumes. The belt buckle was bubble wrapped, and it was just painted. That was okay for the time, but I couldn't do that for today's audiences, there's no way. I had to elevate it to infuse more details. So what I did was I used the original palette, so the black and the gold, the original square neckline, but I made it more like a hard armor with this exoskeleton detail over the top that was hand sculpted by our sculptor, Alex Silberberg, and I think it makes them look a little bit more intimidating. It's just a little bit more memorable to TOS rather than Discovery.

It's clear that storytelling is baked into your design work, such as you infused the Rigel VII costumes with a bit of worldbuilding, and created the look of "The Elysian Kingdom" from a specific character's perspective. Was that part of what drew you to this kind of design work? Or was that something you had to learn as you were working on these kinds of series?

Going into it, we were definitely told it was re-imagining, that we could bring elements from the past but still make it our own. I've been really lucky enough that our showrunners are so open to ideas. It's not as if no idea is passed away. Everything's carefully considered. It's been just a wonderful journey, and I think Gene Roddenberry's original vision for the show was to inspire, uplift, make you think, and ultimately leave you with this optimistic view. So for me to work on a show that's positive, and it's this amazing legacy, it's just such an honor. So yeah, I jumped at the chance to be able to contribute to it visually.

I thought it was fun that you also brought back that green wraparound uniform Captain Kirk sometimes wore on Star Trek: The Original. It was a completely unnecessary thing to do, but I think fans really appreciated seeing it. Did you all talk about the purpose of that uniform and why it should show up in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

Akiva really wanted us to pepper that green wrap jacket somewhere in the show. It was just one of those things that I think tickled his fancy. It's just like, that's a funny thing that they did. Why not? Let us do that too. So I did some research, and it's hard to decipher why they did that. One idea was that William Shatner kind of just changed shape over time, so it was to hide his physique a little bit more, but we don't really know, so we just did our Strange New Worlds version of it. We made the shoulders a little stronger. The fabric wasn't as Kermit the Frog green, it was just a little bit more olive, and we just did our version of it. And it's funny, in TOS, there are several of the green wrap jackets, so we might be doing several of them too as seasons go on. We don't know, we might do that.

"The Elysian Kingdom" is the episode that's been submitted for Emmy consideration. Why that episode? Is it simply the episode where you and your team got to flex your skills the most?

Well, interestingly, this episode wasn't eligible this last year's Emmys because of the way our series was delivered. Only the first seven, I believe, episodes were up for Emmy consideration last year. So this year my favorite episode happens to be eligible, so it's a no-brainer for sure. I think it encapsulates all of what Star Trek stands for, and for me, technically, it showcases the skill and talent of my team.

We handcrafted every single thing on the costumes, or 3D printed it. Even the Crimson Guards, the armor, there's like 150 leather pieces that are constructed by Jennifer Johnson, our key effects builder. It's just amazing what the team could do, considering we didn't have a lot of time, and I loved how they really rose to the occasion at this moment. It is just that warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. It reminds you of a kid. It's really vivid. It's whimsical. It gives you that optimistic view of the future in a way. I was really happy that there was a chance to have it up for consideration at least.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, being more episodic than Star Trek: Discovery or Star Trek: Picard, brings new elements in with almost every episode. With all of that, is there a guiding theme that you follow to keep the show looking cohesive and make sure all of those aliens of the week or whatever else still feel like they fit into the world of the show?

I would say "nostalgia," for sure. Leaning into the nostalgia, elevating some of those original ideas that the costume designer at the time, William Ware Theiss, had, updating the fabrics, the technologies that we use, the processes, and leaning into color a little bit more, the vibrancy. Other shows are a little darker, a little more monochromatic in terms of the grayscale and you can't really see what's going on sometimes. But on Strange New Worlds, it is just a little bit more powerful because you can see all that color and that vibrancy. So I would say nostalgia is that North Star for us.

Has there been an instance where the nostalgia became too much and you had to pivot or to something different? Maybe on a previous interaction of the uniform, or some other situation where that fondness for the classic look became a stumbling block?

There wasn't really a stumbling block, it's just making sure things look cohesive and professional. The miniskirts, for instance, that was a moment where when Gersha and I were first discussing the costume, maybe we shouldn't do that because they were really wonderful at the time and a real showstopper, but it doesn't really resonate in today's society, and it can be seen as sexist. So we were thinking maybe not the miniskirts. But then Rebecca Romijn showed us this other way of thinking, which is you can still be professional, you just maybe have to tweak it somehow. So we just put leggings under the little tunics that we do. We've made it unisex so any gender can wear the uniform.

I would say little moments like that where certain things happen in the '60s that should maybe stay in the '60s. We'll just pivot, as you say, to something that resonates with today's more mature audiences who expect story, they expect character, and they're very smart. They're not going to see the gimmicks and just think, "Oh, I'm being played here." They expect more from storytelling.

On the flip side of the nostalgia, has there been any particular alien species in Star Trek that's been especially fun to work on? Or maybe the flipside of that, where there's one that's been particularly challenging?

I think whenever there's a legacy alien, you have to look at all the different iterations of the alien. We have meetings about the alien, how prosthetics are going to do their work, hair and makeup, costumes, and what the props department going to do. We all want to be on the same page. So legacy aliens do require a lot more consideration. When aliens are new to this series or to canon it's that spark of excitement. You can think of anything here. We're establishing something that may have to be redesigned in other Star Trek shows to come. You never know. So a real highlight for me from Season 1 was the Deleb aliens. They're in Season 2, and they weren't featured highly, but I think they were so intricate and beautiful.

They were a desert-dwelling, alien race, so I leaned into inspirations from nature, organic rock formations, the veins of a leaf, or a very natural palette, and looked at fashion designers like Iris van Herpen and the way that she does folds and pleating, and all of her kind of work is very alien in a way. It was really a wonderful alien to bring together, and our textiles team, headed by key technical artist Anna Pantcheva, did such a wonderful job. She did ice dying and bleach dying. She covered things with silicon, embroidered in a very organic way to make them look alien. So yeah, very proud of those aliens.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: Prodigy, the first children's animated series set in the Trek universe in decades, has been cancelled, and will soon be removed from Paramount+ altogether, Variety reports. Prodigy is one of four series, along with The Game, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Queen of the Universe, which will disappear from Paramount+ as the streamer makes adjustments to its programming, creating the Paramount+ with Showtime bundle. The Game, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies are all eligible to be shopped to other networks, which suggests that while they are being removed from Paramount+, they are not (or at least not yet) being written down and scrubbed from the internet, a practice that has become disturbingly common.

Star Trek: Prodigy also aired on Nickelodeon until its finale in December. According to Variety's report, the series will also be pulled from that network, ensuring that until and unless CBS Television has had a chance to shop it around, there will be no reruns for the Kate Mulgrew-led series.

"The Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, Queen of the Universe, and The Game have completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service," a Paramount+ spokesperson said. "We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors."

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is a prequel series to the beloved '70s film. The Game is a revival of the 2000s CW/BET series from Black Lightning executive producer Mara Brock Akil, and spun out of her popular series Girlfriends. Queen of the Universe is a singing competition show featuring the most talented drag queens from around the world. It appears that Grease and Trek will be shopped around, while this is the end of the road for Girlfriends and Queen of the Universe. Queen is the only show with a firm removal date, that being June 30.

Star Trek: Prodigy sees Star Trek: Voyager's Kate Mulgrew returning as Kathryn Janeway, both as a hologram and as the flesh-and-blood original, now a Starfleet admiral. The voice cast also includes Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok). Also featured in the series are recurring voice cast members Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Jason Alexander (Doctor Noum), Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), and Billy Campbell (Thadiun Okona).

Star Trek: Prodigy streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, Australia, South Korea, Italy, the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France. It also streams on Nickelodeon international channels in 180 countries globally. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Following Friday's confirmation that Paramount+ will remove Star Trek: Prodigy from its library despite having previously renewed the animated Star Trek series, the Blu-ray of Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1: Episodes 1-10 has sold out at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. It's unclear how much stock these retailers had on hand, but within a day of Star Trek fans learning the series would leave Paramount+ in a week's time, whatever copies remained were sold. This news began spreading across social media amid a fan campaign to "Save Star Trek: Prodigy" eventually being amplified by Star Trek: Prodigy producer and head writer Aaron Waltke. "Seems like people are voting with their wallets... and eager to discover the show!" Waltke added. The Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1: Episodes 1-10 DVD set is still available at some online storefronts, though it is only capable of playing the episodes in standard definition. This Star Trek: Prodigy Blu-ray and DVD set only collects the first half of Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, which aired on Nickelodeon after debuting on Paramount+. Waltke stated the second Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Blu-ray volume is in production.

Paramount+ had announced plans to release Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 in winter 2023. Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 is said to be nearing completion. However, rather than streaming it on Paramount+, Paramount will pitch the series to other streamers and networks. If Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 doesn't find a new home, several of the show's storylines will go unresolved, including one involving the fate of Star Trek: Voyager favorite Cakotay, voiced by original actor Robert Beltran, and whether Adrmial Janeway, voiced by Kate Mulgrew, ever finds him.

Wow, it's true!#StarTrekProdigy Blu-Ray is selling out everywhere -- Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart-- in 24 hours!

Seems like people are voting with their wallets... and eager to discover the show! #SaveStarTrekProdigy https://t.co/C6NMp5S8bY pic.twitter.com/FoknMJinNi

-- Aaron J. Waltke (@GoodAaron) June 24, 2023

What is Star Trek: Prodigy?

Star Trek: Prodigy follows the young crew of the USS Protostar, which the characters discovered on the prison colony of Tars Lamora, deep in the Delta Quadrant. Though aimed at kids, Star Trek: Prodigy excited longtime Star Trek fans by bringing back Kate Mulgrew to voice Kathryn Janeway in both Hologram Janeway and Admiral Janeway forms

Star Trek: Prodigy's voice cast also included Brett Gray (Dal R'El), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok). The recurring voice cast includes Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Jason Alexander (Doctor Noum), Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), and Billy Campbell (Thadiun Okona).

On Friday, Paramount+ confirmed that it had canceled Star Trek: Prodigy despite previously renewing the animated Star Trek series for younger viewers for a second season. Planned for release later this year, Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 is nearly complete but will not stream on Paramount+. Instead, Paramount+ will remove Star Trek: Prodigy from its library, making it the exclusive home of every television episode in the Star Trek Universe no longer, and shop the show to other streamers and networks once the second season is finished. Star Trek: Prodigy's first season also aired on Nickelodeon. Dan and Kevin Hageman, Star Trek: Prodigy's creators, took to Twitter to share comments about the show on their shared account:

"#StarTrek has taught my brother and me to strive for a better future. While news of #StarTrekProdigy not returning to Paramount+ is disappointing... We have faith this show will be picked up by a new home to help grow our fervent fanbase and inspire the next generation of Star Trek fans. Our talented and passionate team of artists are working tirelessly to complete S2... And we are staying positive and hopeful that our amazing fans will get to see it soon! Janeway would never give up, so why would we? Let's follow her orders and 'Go Boldly.'

#StarTrek has taught my brother and me to strive for a better future. While news of #StarTrekProdigy not returning to Paramount+ is disappointing...

-- Dan & Kevin Hageman (@brothershageman) June 23, 2023

Star Trek: Prodigy lead writer Aaron J. Waltke also commented on Twitter. He writes, "In a world of deep uncertainty, I choose joy. It can feel radical to reject cynicism. To try every day to make the world a tiny bit better. Hope is a tool. It can be a battery, a shield, or a weapon. And it can be used in service of others. We build a road, stone by stone."

Star Trek: Prodigy is one of four Paramount+ originals canceled and slated for removal by the streaming service. The other affected shows are The Game, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Queen of the Universe.

In a world of deep uncertainty, I choose joy.

It can feel radical to reject cynicism. To try every day to make the world a tiny bit better.

Hope is a tool. It can be a battery, a shield, or a weapon. And it can be used in service of others.

We build a road, stone by stone.

-- Aaron J. Waltke (@GoodAaron) June 23, 2023

Paramount+ Cancels Star Trek: Prodigy and More

"The Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, Queen of the Universe, and The Game have completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service," a Paramount+ spokesperson said in a statement provided to Variety. "We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors."

The decision to remove these series from Paramount+, which is said to have been "data-driven," is seen as an adjustment to the addition of Showtime programming to the streaming service, but it isn't the first time that Paramount+ has removed content from its library. Earlier this year, Paramount+ eliminated several shows that were CBS All Access originals, including Jordan Peele's high-profile The Twilight Zone reboot (which had ceased production in 2021, ahead of Paramount+'s launch), The Real World: Homecoming, Coyote, No Activity, Guilty Party, and The Harper House.

Streaming services purging their libraries of original content has become an increasingly popular move across the industry as the companies behind these services turn to cost-cutting to increase profit. David Zaslav made waves doing this at HBO Max, now Max, when he took over as CEO of the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery, even going as far as to choose not to release the Batgirl movie that had already completed production. Disney soon followed suit, removing original programming from its Disney+ and Hulu streaming services.

What is Star Trek: Prodigy?

Star Trek: Prodigy follows the young crew of the USS Protostar, which the characters discovered on the prison colony of Tars Lamora, deep in the Delta Quadrant. Though aimed at kids, Star Trek: Prodigy excited longtime Star Trek fans by bringing back Kate Mulgrew to voice Kathryn Janeway in both Hologram Janeway and Admiral Janeway forms. The voice cast also included Brett Gray (Dal R'El), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok). The recurring voice cast includes Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Jason Alexander (Doctor Noum), Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), and Billy Campbell (Thadiun Okona).

Paramount has released only the first 10 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy on Blu-ray and DVD to date, meaning that the remainder of the show's 20-episode first season will disappear if it doesn't find another streaming home and Paramount Home Media doesn't follow through with a second home media volume. That's not to mention the possibility that if Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 doesn't see a release, several of the show's storylines will go unresolved, including the fate of Star Trek: Voyager favorite Cakotay, voiced by original actor Robert Beltran, and whether Adrmial Janeway ever finds him. A "Save Star Trek: Prodigy" petition has already been launched on Change.org to try to avert that fate.

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere episode, "The Broken Circle," is now streaming for free on YouTube. This is a frequent move that Paramount+ pulls with its Star Trek series when new seasons begin, and this time it follows Paramount+ putting the entirety of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 onto YouTube for free ahead of Season 2's premiere. TheStar Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere doesn't feature much of Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and for a good reason, but it does see Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck) taking command of the USS Enterprise and immediately going rogue with the ship to help out La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Henry Alonso Myers & Akiva Goldsman wrote "The Broken Circle." Chris Fisher directed the episode. Here's the episode's official synopsis:

"A distress call from Lt. Noonien-Singh compels Spock to disobey orders and take the USS Enterprise and its crew into disputed space, risking renewed hostilities with the Klingons in a bid to aid their shipmate."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as not-yet-Captain James T. Kirk, adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia, and includes a crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks, guest starring Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler and Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner and directed by Jonathan Frakes.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

According to the official synopsis for the second season of the Star Trek: Discovery spinoff and Star Trek: The Original Series prequel, "In season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the crew of the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories, and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will also embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any Star Trek series."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. The season is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Andrew J. Robinson is returning to his beloved character, Elim Garak, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Robinson reads the new audiobook edition of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time, the Star Trek novel that Robinson wrote and that Simon & Schuster's first published via its Pocket Books imprint in 2000. Since A Stich in Time was written by a Star Trek actor from the point of view of the character they played, Star Trek fans have longed clamored for an audiobook edition read by Robinson, even launching a Change.org petition requesting it in 2020. Simon & Schuster seems to have decided that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's 30th anniversary in 2023 is the perfect time to do as fans have asked.

"Narrating the book for the audio version and revisiting Garak and his story was a true labor of love," Andrew J. Robinson said n a statement to StarTrek.com. "It made me realize just how much I miss the rascal (but not the make-up!). I hope that people, including those who have read the book, enjoy listening to Garak's remarkable journey as much as I enjoyed taking it again."

"A Stitch in Time audiobook has long been near the top of many Star Trek fans' wish lists," added Chris Lynch, President & Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audio. "We are thrilled that Andrew J. Robinson will fulfill those wishes and give voice to his classic Deep Space Nine tale."

This isn't the first time Simon & Schuster Audio has recruited Star Trek television stars. Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd reprised their roles as Seven of Nine and Raffi Musikar, respectively, in the original Star Trek: Picard audiobook No Man's Land.

What is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time?

Released as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's 27th Pocket Book and as part of the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine relaunch" series, set after the show's television finale, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time came out of Robinson's background work on Garak while filming Star Trek: Dee Space Nine. Robinson began writing Garak's journal to help get into the alien character's head. Robinson later entertained fans at conventions by reading excerpts from it. He then pitched the idea of a novel in the same format to Simon & Schuster, who accepted and published the novel. Here's the official synopsis for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time:

"In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time, for nearly a decade Garak has longed for just one thing -- to go home. Exiled on a space station, surrounded by aliens who loathe and distrust him, going back to Cardassia has been Garak's one dream. Now, finally, he is home. But home is a world whose landscape is filled with death and destruction. Desperation and dust are constant companions and luxury is a glass of clean water and a warm place to sleep.

Ironically, it is a letter from one of the aliens on that space station, Dr. Julian Bashir, that inspires Garak to look at the fabric of his life. Elim Garak has been a student, a gardener, a spy, an exile, a tailor, even a liberator. It is a life that was charted by the forces of Cardassian society with very little understanding of the person, and even less compassion.

But it is the tailor that understands who Elim Garak was, and what he could be. It is the tailor who sees the ruined fabric of Cardassia, and who knows how to bring this ravaged society back together. This is strange, because a tailor is the one thing Garak never wanted to be. But it is the tailor whom both Cardassia and Elim Garak need. It is the tailor who can put the pieces together, who can take a stitch in time."

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: A Stitch in Time's audiobook, read by Robinson, releases on August 1st. The ebook edition of A Stich in Time is already available. The original paperback release of the novel, thanks to its popularity and relatively small print run, is harder to find and will cost collectors quite a bit of extra latinum on the secondary market.

Some may know Yetide Badaki from her roles in series like American Gods, but this week she joins the Star Trek Universe as Neera in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and she makes quite an impression. SPOILERS follow for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera." Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's second episode follows up on the season finale's cliffhanger ending when Starfleet arrested Number One, Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) when her identity as an Illyrian with genetic enhancements becomes known. "Ad Astra per Aspera" sees Una on trial and her Starfleet-provided counsel compromised.

After mostly missing the season premiere, Captain Pike (Anson Mount) risks his life to get Una capable representation. That comes from Neera, another Illyrian, and one of Una's old friends, though they did not part on good terms. Despite decades passing since they last spoke, and Neera resenting many of Una's choices, she gives an incredible defense in an episode that harkens back to Data's fight for his status as a person in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Measure of a Man."

It turns out that Badaki was thinking about that episode while filming "Ad Astra per Aspera." ComicBook.com had the opportunity to speak to Badaki about her Star Trek debut. We learned that she's a longtime Star Trek fan as she told us about her early Star Trek crushes, how Star Trek handles relevant, contemporary themes, and her hopes for Neera's Star Trek future. Here's what she had to say:

As an actor, you're new to the Star Trek universe. What is your history with Star Trek as a fan?

Yetide Badaki: I'm glad you asked me, and I wish we had hours because I could wax poetic on my love of Star Trek for days, actually. I always tell people, "Star Trek formed my worldview." I remember watching it as a kid in Nigeria, and I was introduced through Next Generation, and I have an undying love for the franchise. This has literally been a dream come true. I mean, I'm so much of a fan that it's my comfort watch whenever I'm traveling, wherever I'm going. I have watched Next Generation, all the episodes, at least twice. So, I'm a lifelong long fan. It has shaped my worldview, and this is literally a dream come true.

I have to know now, do you have a favorite character? Or one that you connect with the most?

Okay, I'll tell you, my first crushes were Data and Captain Picard. But of course, I mean, I love the whole bridge crew. I mean, everything about Deanna and her empathy, and then everything with Riker, I love watching the compilation of the Riker sit. And then you have Worf, all of the experiences that he's going through. Crusher. I mean, La Forge, come on, we've got to talk about La Forge. Yeah, it's hard to name one, but I can tell you, those were my first two crushes.

Did your familiarity with the franchise help prepare you for acting in it? Because I know that sometimes actors can be a bit overwhelmed by everything that goes into making a Star Trek show.

I mean, there was a learning curve, mainly because of the new space that you are in, and also because there were a lot of lines, a lot of speeches, which I love because that was one of my favorite things about watching Star Trek were those wonderfully impassioned speeches about ideals. But it was a lot of lines to work with, and that was the part that took me aback.

Familiarity-wise, they can all tell you on set, I walked on, and they're going, "Oh, oh, that's a geek," because even as soon as I read that script, I went, "Oh my goodness. This is 'The Measure of a Man'," one of my favorite Next Generation episodes, written by Melinda Snodgrass. Yes, "The Measure of a Man," is one of my favorites, and the other one is "The Inner Light" by Morgan Gendel. But immediately, I saw "The Measure of a Man." That's the one, if people are not familiar, where Data was put on trial, and Riker had to be on opposing counsel. There were a lot of similar flavors in this. Also, TOS people would refer to "Court Martial." So yes, it prepared me, all of that, and for, as you said, the grand epic scope of the Star Trek worlds, I was already familiar with that. So yeah, being a geek does pay.

Your character is interesting because the Federation typically butts heads against rival alien empires or bad actors within a polity, but you're challenging them on moral grounds. What was it like getting your handle on this character and, given that you're familiar with Star Trek, did you see her as this different kind of character?

For me, it felt like Star Trek. That was one of the reasons I used to love the show. There were two reasons. One, I dare anyone to name another show or TV series with this kind of scope that depicts a positive possibility for our future. Star Trek did that and continues and that was one of the things I loved about this script. It felt like Star Trek to me, where what I always loved was that even though the individuals were not perfect, there was a striving to be better, to do better.

I loved the episodes when Picard, even himself, we all look up to him, but he has moments where he says, "I did wrong," and he admits to it and then he works to do better. So, this episode, to me, felt like classic Star Trek. It felt like what always made me so excited about the idea of Starfleet, that it was constantly examining itself and was willing to make shifts and changes when they find wrongdoing.

This episode is talking about genetically enhanced aliens, but like with most good Star Trek, it's also meant to resonate with real-world issues. You're an immigrant yourself and it only takes a glance at your social media accounts to see how near and dear immigrant causes are to you. We look for more nuance, I think, in these kinds of shows and stories these days, and want them to treat the topics they're trying to discuss and elevate them in more respectful ways rather than simply preach. What goes into that as an actor? Or is it about what's there on the page?

Right. I mean, that's why we love science fiction and fantasy. We're able to look at real-world issues through the lens of fiction, and that's one of the things that Star Trek does so well. It automatically gives us that lens that we can view it through without feeling preached at, and it gives us what feels like a safe space to explore these ideas and to discuss ideas.

I can't say that I was making sure of it, as this incredible team, including Henry Alonso Myers, Chris Fisher, Akiva Goldsman, and Alex Kurtzman, this was written by Dana Horgan, it was already a space that I walked into, directed by Valerie Weiss, who has a science background, a very interesting one, and then moved into directing. So, that framework was already there. I didn't have to sit there and say, "I need to make sure that I'm not doing that." That framework is already there. That's what Star Trek, I think, is one of the things it does best.

I found the dynamic between your character and Rebecca Romijn's compelling. Can you talk a bit about building that friendship by working with her? Do you think that leaves the door open for seeing more of this character going forward?

I love that you asked that question. Listen, Rebecca Romijn, she's incredible, and I can't wait for everyone to see the beautiful work that she does in this episode. And I had mentioned our director, Valerie Weiss, who very wisely, as early as she could, had us sit down at dinner and just talk, and talk over the things that bond us.

For example, we both were able to share, well, Rebecca speaks about how her mother introduced her to Star Trek. My connection with that is that my family loved Star Trek so much so that when I got to see this screener, I was at home for my father's 70th celebration, and he hears my voice, he goes, "Is that you?" And then we get to sit down and watch the episode together. I got to watch it with my father. Those kinds of things really bonded us. And then we were able to spend more time talking about, okay, what is the history between the two? And so, there was a lot put into building this relationship, and I do hope that the way it came across, that means that yes, she'll be back for her friend at some point in the coming seasons.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. The season is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

A new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds featurette introduces audiences to the Enterprise's new chief engineer Pelia, played by Carol Kane. In the video, Kane talks about how exciting it is to be playing a character in Star Trek's version of the future. You can see the video below. ComicBook.com had the opportunity to speak to Kane about joining Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 as Pelia during the press junket before the premiere. During our conversation, Kane explained what she enjoyed about playing the long-lived Pelia, who, as a Lanthanite, has thousands of years of knowledge and experience to draw from and isn't ashamed to do it.

"I think it's exciting to be playing someone who is not afraid of their own knowledge and their own power," Kane said. "There's kind of a freedom that I've been given by the way she was written and I just love that. It's a new thing for me."

Casting Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' new chief engineer.

ComicBook.com also had the opportunity to talk to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman about how they cast the show's new chief engineer. "The big thing was we zigged in one season, and we wanted to try to zag, which was like, how can we find a person who doesn't feel like we've seen them before in Star Trek, and who might give us a unique and interesting perspective?" Myers explained. "We had a version of a character, and we were very lucky in that we were talking with our casting people and they were like, "What about Carol Kane for this?" And it suddenly snapped. And she, of course, brought her own unique and delightful perspective to it."

Myers continued, "As a show, we probably are slightly more interested in making sure comedy is present than some of the other Trek shows, just because that's part of what we have, and that's something she happens to be very good at, so it was fun to be able to lean on her in that way. It's important to us to have different genres that have different areas of emotion that we're exploring, some of them funny, some of them scary, and that one speaks to a different kind that we didn't get to see as much. We're trying to give the show a unique and specific look and feel."

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. The season is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has changed the look of the Klingons yet again, and there's a reason for it. When Star Trek: Discovery debuted in 2017, its Kligons -- with their more ornate ridges and much heavier prosthetics -- immediately proved divisive among fans. Some objected purely because they looked different than previous iterations of the Klingons, but a more practical concern was how the additional prosthetics affected actors' ability to perform through them. In Star Trek: Picard, Worf looked like Worf, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stripped back its Klingons to something more akin to Star Trek: The Next Generation's design. Chris Fisher, who directed the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere episode "The Broken Circle," explained on The 7th Rule podcast that actor performances inspired the redesign.

"I'd say one of the big challenges of this episode for me as a director was reintroducing Klingons because whereas, yes, I personally love the look of the Klingons in Discovery, that look wasn't going to work for us," he said. "Because we're a character-driven show, we need Klingons who can actually emote emotion and not have so much prosthetics and visual effects. So we really kind of moved the Klingons from a creature into a character and that was sort of our thing."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Klingons Will Return

During the podcast, Fisher teased that the Klingons appear throughout Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. "I still think you'll see for this season, for the Klingons, that we come back to it in different ways trying to maybe even tone them down a little bit more," Fisher said.

Klingons toned down more? Could Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, bring back original-style ridgeless Klingons? In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's time-travel episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," which dropped members of the Deep Space 9 crew into the classic Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," Worf refused to talk about the aliens his fellow Starfleet officers from the 24th century were surprised to learn were Klingons. Star Trek: Enterprise later explained the differing Klingon looks. Could Star Trek: Strange New Worlds revisit that story? Fans will have to keep watching to find out.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. The season is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek fans got to see what happened to Jean-Luc Piard after Star Trek: The Next Generation in Star Trek: Picard, and now they'll see what he was like before Star Trek: The Next Generation in Star Trek: Picard's Academy, the latest Star Trek comic in IDW Publishing's expanding Star Trek line, which just earned the Star Trek franchise's first-ever Eisner Award nominations. IDW previously delved into Jean-Luc's past with the Star Trek: The Next Generation - IDW 2020 one-shot, which told of one of Picard's first missions as captain of the Stargazer. Star Trek: Picard's Academy goes back even further, revealing what Jean-Luc Picard was like during his days at Starfleet Academy, a time in Picard's life only barely glimpsed in Star Trek: The Next Generation through episodes like "Tapestry." Sam Maggs, who previously wrote a story in Star Trek: Waypoint #2, writes Star Trek: Picard's Academy. The series has artwork by Ornella Greco and colors by Charlie Kirchoff.

"We're in the middle of the Star Trek renaissance, and as a life-long fan I'm both honored and overjoyed to be able to contribute to a universe that has meant so much to me for so long," Maggs said in a statement provided to TrekMovie. "The Next Generation was my first introduction to Star Trek and I've always wanted to know more about how the Jean-Luc we all know and respect came to be; we've seen glimpses of his childhood and early adulthood, but what really forged our Earl Grey-loving leader into the man we got to see in Picard? Diving into the psyche of an Academy student under so much pressure--and with so many personal issues shadowing his past--has been such a delight with the help of the amazing teams at IDW and Paramount. And, come on: cool teen Picard with luscious hair? His weirdo group of kinda-friends? Starfleet Academy teen drama? Sign me up!! But beyond all that: we need stories about the building blocks of Starfleet--love, acceptance, and found family--now more than ever, and I hope Picard's Academy is as exciting for readers to pick up as it was for me to write!"

What is Star Trek: Picard's Academy about?

IDW Publishing provided the following synopsis for Star Trek: Picard's Academy: "Before becoming the Federation's finest, Jean-Luc was an ordinary student at Starfleet Academy with sights on the stars. His path forward was charted: blow his classmates out of the water on the infamous Evasive Maneuvers exam and graduate early. But there's a detail Cadet Picard hadn't factored into his plan: the exam was a group project and he'd need to make friends with, ugh, people if he stood a chance at passing. Federation starships aren't run by a party of one, after all."

Star Trek: Picard's Academy should offer more insight into the life of young Jean-Luc Picard and offer a taste of what stories set at Starfleet Academy are like ahead of Paramount+ launching its upcoming Starfleet Academy streaming series. Star Trek: Picard's Academy #1 goes on sale in September.

Star Trek: Picard is done as a television show, but Patrick Stewart wants to see it return as a movie. Star Trek: Picard Season 3 reunited the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and had them unravel a conspiracy within Starfleet, ending with another showdown with the Borg. While Paramount+ touted the final Star Trek: Picard season as the last adventure of the Enterprise-D crew, the show's returning cast began talking about the potential for further adventures even before the premiere. While there's the potential for the Star Trek: The Next Generation alum to appear in the proposed Star Trek: Legacy sequel series, should it ever materialize, Patrick Stewart has pushed for a final movie starring the Next Gen cast.

As part of the Star Trek: Picard Emmy Awards consideration campaign, Patrick Stewart spoke to IndieWire and made his case for a Star Trek: Picard movie. "I think we could do a movie, a Picard-based movie. Now not necessarily at all about Picard but about all of us," Stewart said. "And to take many of those wonderful elements, particularly from Season 3 of Picard, and take out of that what I think could be an extraordinary movie. I keep telling people and mentioning it, and so far there's been no eager response, but it might well happen. And that would be I think a very appropriate way to say, 'And goodbye folks.'"

Will a Star Trek: Picard movie happen?

This isn't the first time Stewart has pushed for a movie following up on Star Trek: Picard Season 3. His co-star, Jonathan Frakes, hopes the story continues but has previously admitted, "Movies are tough! Even JJ [Abrams] can't get this fourth movie off the ground. All those wonderful rumors? Noah Hawley was attached to a Star Trek movie, and Quentin was toying with people's emotions about doing a movie. If those two names can't get a f****** movie made, I don't know. TV is the future, it seems to me."

Perhaps there's a way to split the difference. Paramount+ recently announced a Star Trek: Section 31 movie starring Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Georgiu. It is reportedly the first in a series of straight-to-streaming Star Trek movies that Paramount+ hopes to release biennially. Perhaps a Star Trek: Picard movie could be one of those upcoming releases.

How to watch Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is streaming now in full on Paramount+. All previous Star Trek: Picard episodes, as well as all episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, every other episode of Star Trek television, and, currently, every Star Trek movie are streaming now on Paramount+. Star Trek: Picard Season 3 comes to Blu-ray in September.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., and on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Star Trek fans may have been surprised by how little Captain Christopher Pike factored into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's premiere. Many likely expected Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to immediately address the cliffhanger from its first season finale, where Number One was arrested for her genetic enhancements. Instead, that storyline won't pick up until this week's episode, "Ad Astra per Aspera," which sees Una placed on trial with Pike at her side. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' premiere episode, "The Broken Circle," acknowledges that situation briefly via an opening scene that sees Pike conversing with Una before Pike leaves the ship, placing Spock in command as acting captain while it undergoes routine maintenance. That's pretty much it for Pike's role in "The Broken Circle."

It turns out that Pike's unusual absence in the episodes is because the actor who plays the Enterprise's commanding officer, Anson Mount, had a baby not long before filming. Director Chris Fisher explained the situation on an episode of The 7th Rule podcast.

Ahead of filming, Fisher was told, "Anson just had a baby. He's not really going to be available for this episode." Fisher explained, "It was definitely a challenge too because Anson is such an incredible actor, and Pike is such a great character."

He continued, saying that the episode splitting its focus among the Enterprise's crew "came from the necessity of Anson just had a baby, and he needed to spend time with his kid. So we knew that, of course, and we had nine months to prepare for that, so our showrunners wrote an episode that kicked the door down in terms of fun and action, and really leans heavily on what makes these other characters so awesome."

Pike and Una are "old friends" in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Mount will return as Pike in this week's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, supporting Una through her court-martial proceedings. During the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 press junket, Rebecca Romihn, who plays Number One, told ComicBook.com about Pike and Una's relationship.

"I can only speak to us in our relationship, but I think Anson and I have agreed that our friendship goes back to Starfleet Academy days," Romijn said. "We are just friends that can see straight through each other and can call it out. And sometimes when Anson and I have these two-handers together, which always feel very grounded to me, I have very vivid memories of Jonathan Frakes, again, being on set, saying, 'Old friends, old friends,' and he says that at the beginning of every take and it's just such a nice way to approach every scene."

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with a premiere date still to be announced. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is also streaming on Paramount+. The season is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

The ComicBook Nation Crew gives their reviews of the biggest things in movies and TV, including DC's The Flash, Marvel's Secret Invasion, and Paramount's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2! We also break down the huge shifts and delays in Disney and Marvel's movie schedules and talk this week's biggest comics.

The Flash Review

In the official review of The Flash, ComicBook.com critic Jenna Anderson said the following:

After years of being a proverbial white whale in the realm of superhero movies, The Flash finally exists in an undoubtedly fun, but somewhat inconsequential way. The movie's liveliness is infectious, and there are some genuinely unbelievable moments on display, but that might not be enough to fully cement it as a legendary part of DC's canon. Whether on the screen or on the page, Barry Allen's adventure is far from over -- and, in one way or another, The Flash movie will always be a one-of-a-kind chapter of that.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Marvel's Secret Invasion Reaction

In his reaction to Marvel's Secret Invasion (first two episodes), host Kofi Outlaw said:

I can say that #Marvel's #SecretInvasion is VERY much a spy-thriller set in the #MCU landscape. After seeing the first 2 eps I can say the show starts off on an exciting pace with big reveals and shocks. Episode 2 is a lot slower but proves this top-notch cast is here to cook.

What Is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds About?

"In season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories, and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will also embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any Star Trek series."

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Watch Us On Paramount+
3. Listen via the media player embedded below.
4. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
5. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter:

• @ComicBookNation
• @KofiOutlaw
• @MattAguilarCB
• @JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 brought Jean-Luc Picard and the rest of the USS Enterprise's former senior officers -- William Riker, Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, Worf, Data, and Beverly Crusher -- together once more. In the final two episodes, Star Trek: The Next Generation's cast returned to the rebuilt USS Enterprise-D, a recreation resembling the original right down the computer's voice, returning it to action to fend off the Borg's latest attack. Recreating Star Trek: The Next Generation's iconic Starship was quite a feat for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 production design crew and one that the fans greatly appreciated.

The experience was emotional for the cast as well. With Star Trek: Picard Season 3 campaigning for Emmy Consideration, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and Gates McFadden spoke to Deadline about their return to the Enterprise-D bridge.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3's Starship Enterprise Return and Next Generation Reunion

"Our family of friends never stopped knowing one another, so there was no feeling of reunion," Frakes said of returning to the ship and reuniting with the Next Generation cast. "We hadn't been apart. What was unfamiliar was stepping back into a turbolift, waiting to walk back onto the bridge of the Enterprise-D. That was quite an emotional experience."

Stewart added, "I found it wonderful because there was a lot of talking before it was finally confirmed there would be a new Star Trek show called Picard. During those conversations, I had felt strongly - largely based on my pride for what we had achieved with The Next Generation - that I didn't want to mess up the work by making the show a series of sentimental reunion episodes, with us having fun and going on adventures. We'd done that, and we'd done it very well. Not all the time, but most of the time [laughs].

"But 20 years had passed. And I remember Akiva Goldsman saying to me, 'Patrick, your life has changed in the past 20 years. So many things have happened to you. Are you the same person you were then?' I realized then that it didn't have to make reference to The Next Generation at all. What had been happening to these characters in those 20 years? Who were they today? I already knew mine had been up and down - captain, admiral, a desk job, not flying a spaceship.

McFadden concludes, "The reason to come back was that Terry [Matalas] pitched a really great story, and I loved it. I liked the fact it was different, that the character was much more three-dimensional as far as I was concerned. I loved that it was a story about the corruption of the Federation because our world today is so full of corruption; of the environment, of the values we'd grown up with. You read three newspapers in the morning and you're ready to go back to bed."

How to watch Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is streaming now in full on Paramount+. All previous Star Trek: Picard episodes, as well as all episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, every other episode of Star Trek television, and, currently, every Star Trek movie are streaming now on Paramount+. Star Trek: Picard Season 3 comes to Blu-ray in September.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., and on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to Paramount+ on Thursday, offering Star Trek fans more of what they loved about the first season. That's according to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds co-showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman, who took some time to talk with ComicBook.com about the second season of the highly-acclaimed Star Trek: Discovery spinoff. which brings back the cast of the first season minus the deceased ship's engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak). Carol Kane's Pelia takes over as Enterpirse's new Chief Engineer, and we made sure to ask Myers and Goldsman whether the position will continue to have a high turnaround rate.

The new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season also brings back Paul Wesley as Lt. James T. Kirk in a recurring role, which the showrunners touch on as well. Here's everything they had to say ahead of the season premiere:

We get more of Paul Wesley's Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 and he's more familiar than the slightly grimmer Kirk from an alternate universe we met in the first season's finale. How would you describe Kirk's role in Season 2?

Henry Alonso Myers: Well, we will see some alt-universe, and we will see something that is a little more recognizable, and for us, the huge fun of this is no one spent a lot of time talking about what the emotional life of Kirk was prior to before we meet him. That was really our opportunity to dig into it and imagine how he eventually became the person that he would be, but he isn't there yet. We love Paul. He's fantastic. He's been really a joy to work with.

I'm going to run a pet idea of mine by you to get your thoughts. Star Trek: Picard Season 3 had that Easter egg where we learn that Kirk's body is on ice. I've had the idea that there's an opportunity for someone to resurrect and rejuvenate Kirk, and let Paul Wesley go play him in the 25th century. Is that a thought that's crossed either of your minds at this point?

Akiva Goldsman: Well, it hasn't until now.

Feel free to run with it. I give it to you freely.

AG: Thank you. Good idea.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 was a huge success. It became the highest-rated Star Trek series on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a big deal, and fans took to it immediately. Has the success of the first season changed anything about your approach to the second season? Are you allowed to take bigger risks? Have you incorporated any feedback you've gotten from fans or elsewhere? Or is it pretty much business as usual for you?

AG: Well, I think what's interesting is, Henry always says, "It's Season 1, just more, bigger, better." And I think the answer to the question is sure, some. It helped us some, for sure, because we were doing a few things that are atypical. We were jumping around the genre, although if you're a TOS fan and even, to some extent, if you know Next Gen, you see more of that but it's not typical in television today. We were going back to episodic, and unlike Disco, we are an ensemble piece, but we don't service the ensemble each episode. We pointedly choose a hero narrative eye and move through it. So it was a little wacky, or at least maybe it was for folks who weren't us, and maybe we even thought it was a little wacky but believed in it. So what happens when it lands positively is it gives you permission to really do that. So as Henry says, we just are doing it more.

HAM: There was also some production stuff that was unique and new to us in Season 1 that we really just wanted to make sure that we knew how to make it work. Once we realized, "Okay, we've got it, we're going to make it work," let's try to do it more challengingly, do things that we wouldn't necessarily have been able to pull off Season 1. There are definitely a few of those. When you're bigger and you have more strength to do it, you want to try it, because what's the point of not giving it a go, and trying to make it as good and as interesting and as big and as crazy as you can possibly get?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is episodic, but there was an arc to Season 1, particularly with Pike dealing with his own mortality. Is there a connective tissue or throughline, either thematic or a particular arc, that you think connects all these episodes this season? Or is it possibly even more episodic than the first one?

HAM: Well, it was very important to us, and the same as the first season, to have each of the characters going on a journey, but you don't necessarily have to know what that is and follow it super tightly in order to watch from episode to episode. Each episode is its own unique story, but the lives of these people are real and they have a place to go. We tried that in Season 1. It has this very Next Gen quality where one day we go on this person, one day we follow that person.

It was a great opportunity to have. We have this terrific cast and it's a great opportunity to try to give everyone a chance to do something big and real, because you just get better performances from actors, and our actors are great. We're so lucky to have every single one of them. And why would you not try to give everyone a moment, or a couple of moments, to really make it work for them? We knew that was working, and it's a great way to give each individual episode that has its own flavor its own unique emotion at the core of it.

AG: And remember, you've seen the first half, which would typically be where the setups live. The second half would typically be where the payoffs live. By the time you finish the season, you will feel the same sort of character draft that has pulled you through, actually with maybe even a little more, because we're probably trying, now realizing we can get away with it, to service that idea with more than one.

We have a new ship's engineer this season with Carol Kane as Pelia. She's bringing a very different energy than what we got from Bruce Horak as Hemmer last season. Why did you decide to go in that direction, which continues this trend I've noticed of funny women as engineers in sci-fi, with Tig Notaro, and over in The Mandalorian, you've got Amy Sedaris? Can you say how many generations we are away from Mr. Scott? Is this going to be a situation where there's a new one every season?

AG: ...

HAM: ...

AG: Look how quiet we are. Aren't we quiet?

Here's what it's not. It's not Spinal Tap. We're not killing an engineer every season. I mean, I pitched it, but we're not.

HAM: The big thing was we zigged in one season, and we wanted to try to zag, which was like, how can we find a person who doesn't feel like we've seen them before in Star Trek, and who might give us a unique and interesting perspective? We had a version of a character, and we were very lucky in that we were talking with our casting people and they were like, "What about Carol Kane for this?" And it suddenly snapped. And she, of course, brought her own unique and delightful perspective to it.

As a show, we probably are slightly more interested in making sure comedy is present than some of the other Trek shows, just because that's part of what we have, and that's something she happens to be very good at, so it was fun to be able to lean on her in that way. It's important to us to have different genres that have different areas of emotion that we're exploring, some of them funny, some of them scary, and that one speaks to a different kind that we didn't get to see as much. We're trying to give the show a unique and specific look and feel.

You mentioned a couple of times that you're exploring different genres in different episodes. One genre I noticed comes up a lot, or at least it is a kind of mode that's present across episodes, is romance. There's a lot of it compared to other Star Trek shows -- Disco has some, but it hasn't been a huge focus for Star Trek, but there are some very romantic, relationship-focused episodes here. Was that the intent, or did you get taken in that direction unexpectedly?

AG: Well, I think that we are trying to tell real emotional stories. That's what we go for, especially because for those folks who know canon, not that that is in any way necessary, but for those who do, the endings are written. So how do we make the beginnings and middles dynamic? And we do that by having people have real human or alien emotions so that they can connect to each other.

And there's also seemingly a truth, which is if you're on a ship in the middle of space for a really long time, and it's life and death, you're probably going to kiss someone. And so there's kissing, and we like it. And we like the fact that people can have a real range of emotions. I mean, God knows people punch each other all the time in TV shows. They should be able to kiss each other too.

HAM: The other thing is that if you just look at some of those elements, they're all things, in The Original Series, that they go into. Part of what we wanted to do was try to imagine the depth that lead them there. I mean, T'Pring is in the original show. Chapel-Spock is in the original show. We wanted to say, "Okay, so Chapel and Spock have this initial way of behaving toward each other in the original show. What if we ihave a chance to deepen that, imagine why it would be that way, where they came from? What would a modern audience expect from this that they wouldn't necessarily expect from the original show? And let's try that."

You mentioned canon. That's something where you work with it, you work around it, and sometimes you work through it.

HAM: Correct.

We get some significant first meetings this season. I won't spoil what those are in this interview, but you build episodes for some of them and then some of them are surprisingly understated, the way handled them. What were the conversations like in the writer's room about how to handle those moments, and have there been conversations about how to dole those moments out, so that they're not all upfront, and there are other cool moments like that to look forward to in the future?

HAM: Well, we had an opportunity for a lot of these to show something that was familiar to people. But it was, again, not to come back to this a lot, but Akiva and I discuss this a ton, but we really want this to be a show that you don't necessarily have to recognize to get something out of it. And I think that that actually, in a weird way, is almost a great freedom because it allows us to imagine a deeper, more complicated approach to relationships that they probably weren't concerned about back in the '60s, because they were making a different show at a different time with different ideas. That's the opportunity that we got, and so we also don't want to alienate people. We don't want to make it so that you have to know everything in order to appreciate the show. We wanted to give a special gift to the people who know about it, but also give a scene that makes perfect sense to people who don't.

AG: Henry is fond of saying, and I really agree, that the characters don't know that their encounters are full of portent -- because I know which moment you're talking about -- and so in fact, for them, it was, "Hey, hey," right? They don't know, and you want to keep your audience and your characters together. That's your most successful narrative engine unless you're on purpose putting them at a distance. And we like to do that. We like to have the experience of the characters and the experience of the audience be similar. So we don't want to be winking at the audience at the expense of the character's experience of the moment.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek fans already know Christina Chong from her role as Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, the Enterprise's Chief of Security, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This week, they'll get to see, or rather hear, a different side of Chong when she releases her debut single, "Twin Flames," from her EP of the same name. Between the music release on Friday and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiering on Paramount+ on Thursday, it's going to be an eventful week for Chong, but she still found some time to speak to ComicBook.com via video call about how all of this is happening.

During our conversation, Chong revealed the surprising way that this EP came about, helping her achieve a longtime goal of hers. She also touches on how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds viewers will see something different from La'an in the show's second season. Here's what she had to say.

Christina Chong's Twin Flames

You have a big week ahead of you. We've got Strange New Worlds Season 2 about to debut. You've got an EP coming out. We've got music, we've got acting. Which of these two things came first for you? Were they a package deal? What's the balance there?

Christina Chong: Neither came first. My first love was dance. That's how I started, and it was always the dream to be a dancer. When I went to performing art school, I then got into acting and singing because you had to; it was a musical theater course. And then acting took over because also, I don't know, I just felt like my first musical theater job I was given, they told me they gave me the role because I acted it, and I was like, "Oh, interesting. Okay." And you know when somebody tells you you're good at something, you're like, "Oh," you start to believe it yourself and believe in yourself and believe that you can do it. So then I started going down that route and then went into TV and film in order to fast-track getting leads in musical theater. So the idea was always to do West End, Broadway as a lead. But then I got into TV and film, and then, I was like, "Oh, this is kind of great."

There was a fork in the road when I was a teenager, I'd been discovered by an A&R guy who'd also worked with Amy Winehouse, Lucie Silvas, and he was like, "Look, if you want to do this pop career, then you need to do it now, otherwise you're going to be too old." But I'd already booked a musical theater gig in Germany for over a year, and I was like, "Oh, I can't turn that job down on a dream of something that may or may not happen."

So I said to myself, "One day, I'll come back to it." And Star Trek, in the strangest of ways, has given me the means and the opportunities to actually go into that for the first time. And so the time to come back to it is now, on Friday, to be exact.

For those who only know you as an actor, what would you say the biggest influences are on the music you're putting out? How would you describe the sound of your music?

For me, what was really important, I was like, "If I'm going to do this music thing, I have to be authentically me, and I don't want to go around copying anybody or grabbing somebody else's style." There were influences, of course. I love Amy Winehouse. Her influence is in the way that she's so real with her lyrics and the way she's so real with who just she is or who she was.

Then more sound-wise, there'd be certain tracks that'd be like, "Oh, I love how that track does this," certain artists here and there, and then I would pull bits of inspiration from different places for one track. But the most important thing was it's got to come from me. It's got to be my words. I'm used to hiding behind a character, which it's actually quite nerve-racking.

But the story behind the EP is about an intense romantic relationship with a guy who I'm not with anymore, but who I called my twin flame. There's this idea that there are people who are two parts of the same soul, so to speak, and then you meet in lifetimes, meet up again. And so it's kind of like the breakup, getting together, the breakup, the healing, and then the other side of the healing, the rebirth of who I am after that.

I was connected with them very randomly. It was very serendipitous, the connecting of how I got to work with Jake Gosling, who is the producer. He's worked with Amy Winehouse, he's worked with everyone, Lady Gaga, all of these places and people. And when I was at his studio, he puts up Polaroids of everyone he's worked with, and I turned up to the studio the first day to write my first-ever song, and I'm like, "Oh my God, this is really intimidating. I don't know what I'm doing here."

But it all came about very randomly. I was looking for a stylist for San Diego for last year at Comic-Con and, randomly, a stylist had tagged me mistakenly in an Instagram post. She was meant to tag her client but instead, she tagged me and went to bed. And then the next day, I wake up and I'm like, "That's not me. Hello." And she's like, "Oh, I'm so sorry." I was like, "Actually, are you free these dates?" And she was like, "Yes, I am."

So we got together and I just happened to tell her that I wanted to go into singing and she's like, "Oh, I know somebody. I have a friend who's a singer-songwriter. I'll put you in touch." Little did I know her friend was the fianc?e of Jake Gosling.

She hadn't even heard me sing at this point, but she said -- I don't even know why, I didn't ask -- she said, "I just had this feeling you could." And so she's been instrumental. Olga, my stylist, has been instrumental in helping this happen and helping me along the journey.

Your EP has four original songs on it. Why did you choose this song, "Twin Flames," to be your debut single and to make a music video?

Well, it made sense because I only wrote four songs with Jake, and as we were doing it, we were like, "Hang on a minute, this is a story. This is circular. You could keep going." And with every relationship, there's that same pattern, right? The meeting, the breakup, the healing. Now I'm on the other side, I can meet somebody. So actually, not only did I think it was the one that would probably make the most impact in a visual way because obviously there are flames and the one that I felt most that I could choreograph something cool to, and therefore have a music video to go alongside it, it was also the first step and the beginnings of that relationship. So it made sense to release them in order of how it happened.

Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh in Star Trek: Strange: New Worlds Season 2

You're not the first Star Trek star to put out music, going back to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. More recently, Isa Briones did a song for Star Trek: Picard, singing "Blue Skies" for Season 1, and then Alison Pill had a musical number in Star Trek: Picard Season 2. Do you think there's any chance that we'll see your musical talents put to use in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, or do you think that that is a part of you that is not a part of La'an Noonien-Singh?

I mean, listen, if that were to happen, I wouldn't say no. It's kind of part of the plan, if I'm honest, James. "Hey guys, I can sing. Can La'an sing?" But she had that little bit in season one, right? With the Princess and stuff. They didn't know I was going to do that, I just did it on the day. But I mean, listen, anything goes. That's an idea, maybe even to just pitch my songs for a future season of Star Trek. But yeah, I mean, that would be the dream to have all of it come together because the path that I originally set out was musical theater. So if I had that opportunity to come back around to that and do all three, that would be, "Okay, I can give up now." I wouldn't, but I could give up.

Everybody loves to ask about musical episodes ever since Buffy the Vampire Slayer did it years ago. Do you think there's enough musical theater energy in the Strange New World's cast that they could pull that off? It's so episodic compared to the other shows that if any of these Star Trek shows could do it feels like Strange New Worlds would be the one.

I mean, listen, never say never. We've got Celia Rose Gooding who has a Grammy. Rebecca sang in the Short Treks thing, didn't she? Ethan's sound, I'm sure Ethan can sing because he has a great -- wait, he sang, didn't he? In Season 1 with the egg, when he helped Uhura open up the egg, the humming. I'm sure Anson can rock out something. I don't know how that would come about or how it would happen, but that would be incredible if that were to be in a future season.

What can you say about what fans should look forward to with La'an's story in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2? How is it different from what we saw in Season 1?

She's much lighter this season. That's the journey. There's trauma still there, but we're not playing that anymore. It's simmering underneath. We're moving on. She's lighter, there's romance, there's more fun for her. We see the height of it, I would guess, in Episode 9, which is my favorite episode, which nobody's seen, and when you see it, you'll understand why it's my favorite episode.

I'm looking forward to that because I've seen Episode 3, which is something, so the fact that you picked 9 over 3 makes me think nine must be something else.

Yeah, it's something that's never been done before. With the Lower Decks episode, everyone's like, "Oh, wow, amazing," and it is amazing, but this is equally amazing, just in a different way. It will be a lot of fun. I can't wait for the fans to see that episode.

Is there anything else you like to say or add or let the fans know?

The song will be out at midnight in whatever country you are in on Friday -- so first Thursday night, Friday morning. Spotify and iTunes, SoundCloud, and yeah, social's ChristinaChongx. And if you like the music, please share it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Bass Olusanmokun returns as Dr. Joseph M'Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. In addition to the typical complications that stem from playing a healer enlisted in Starfleet, M'Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' first season focused on trying to save his daughter from her illness. That arc concluded with the fairytale-inspired episode "The Elysian Kingdom," which may leave fans wondering what's next for M'Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Speaking to ComciBook.com during the season's press junket, Olusanmokun teased that M'Benga is still working through the weight of his daughter's journey and that viewers will learn more about his past.

"He's trying to move forward with his life," Olusanmokun says. "He's trying to soldier on. He's trying to go forward with this horrible, traumatic event, the loss of his child. So going forward, he's simply trying to serve his shipmates, serve Starfleet, and find his way, in the world. There will be more revelations of his past, shared history, so that's what you'll be seeing of him, quite a bit more of his past."

Playing a Healer In Starfleet

Along with Olusanmokun, ComicBook.com also spoke to Jess Bush, who plays M'Benga's nurse in the Enterprise's sickbay, Christine Chapel. Bush told us about what it is like to play a Starfleet medical officer.

"You know, we see Chapel and M'Benga pushed to violence, and investigating what emotionally is going to take Chapel to that point, seeing as she's a healer, is very interesting and like navigating and investigating that was really, really great, and how we support each other in that space too, because obviously, we understand each other as healers probably more deeply than anyone else with our shared history," Bush said. "So choosing to enter a space that is going against our oath in that way is super complicated, yeah."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: Picard is over, but its story will expand with a new prequel novel called Star Trek: Picard: Firewall. Written by veteran Star Trek novelist David Mack (Star Trek: Destiny, Star Trek: Coda), Firewall, which pulls double duty as a Star Trek: Voyager sequel of sorts as well, focuses on Seven of Nine, picking up two years after Voyager's return to Starfleet space. We know that Seven didn't immediately gain entry into Starfleet upon her return. Firewall will detail Seven's reaction to that struggle and how she found a place in the Fenris Rangers instead. Star Trek: Picard: Firewall is slated for release on February 27, 2024, and the novel is available to pre-order now.

"Set a couple of years after Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant, FIREWALL tells the story of young Seven of Nine, having been denied a place in Starfleet, venturing alone into the galaxy to find her own identity and purpose in life," Mack teased on Twitter. "Seven's journey leads her to join the rogue law-enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers -- but embracing her new destiny might mean sacrificing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Kathryn Janeway. I'm halfway through the manuscript; I think it's going to be really good, a coming-of-age story as well as an adventure."

Now that the pre-sale info is live on Amazon, I can confirm that the book I've been working on for some time now is a new Star Trek: Picard novel titled FIREWALL, scheduled for publication on February 27, 2024. https://t.co/U4ZJQHEM8D pic.twitter.com/JyxPShkl6s

-- David Mack (@DavidAlanMack) June 11, 2023

Star Trek: Picard: Firewall synopsis

Here's the official synopsis for Star Trek: Picard: Firewall, as listed by publisher Gallery Books: "A thrilling prequel adventure based on the acclaimed TV series Star Trek: Picard! Two years after the USS Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet...and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven--but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she's ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway."

Star Trek: Picard: Firewall is the fifth Star Trek: Picard novel. It fellows The Last Best Hope, which chronicled the events leading to Jean-Luc Picard's resignation from Starfleet; The Dark Veil, a prequel set during Riker and Troi's time aboard the Titan; Rogue Elements, a prequel about Cris Rios, and Second Self, a Raffi-focused story set between Star Trek: Picard's first and second season. Raffi and Seven were also featured in the audio drama Star Trek: Picard: No Man's Land, with Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan reprising their roles. Two Star Trek: Picard comic book miniseries have also been published, with Countdown in 2020 and Stargazer in 2022.

Star Trek: Picard is now streaming on Paramount+. Fans are still hoping for a Seven of Nine-led spinoff series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back this Thursday with the first episode of its second season, which means Captain Pike is back in command of the USS Enterprise. It isn't unusual for Starfleet captains to become parental figures to their crews. Picard and Janeway both offered advice and guidance to their crews about more than their Starfleet duties alone, and Sisko was a literal father, raising young Jake on Deep Space 9. However, Anson Mount, who plays Pike in Strange New Worlds after debuting in the role in Star Trek: Discovery, downplays PIke's fatherly energy, saying the captain seeks help from his crew as much as the other way around.

"I think that he's one of these guys who's also constantly amazed that he's been put in a position of leadership," Mount tells TVLine. "It's more comfortable for him, sometimes, to throw the question to the room and say, 'I'm out of ideas. Who wants to come up with a solution?' But in a weird way, that's a great dad personality, isn't it?"

Captain Pike and Number One

Out of all his crew, Pike has a particularly strong bond with his Number One, Una Chin-Reilly, played by Rebecca Romjin. Romijn told ComicBook.com something about where that bond stems from and how Jonathan Frakes helped her and Mount find that level of connection.

"I can only speak to us in our relationship, but I think Anson and I have agreed that our friendship goes back to Starfleet Academy days," Romijn said of Pike and Una's relationship when asked about during our chat at the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 virtual junket. "We are just friends that can see straight through each other and can call it out. And sometimes when Anson and I have these two-handers together, which always feel very grounded to me, I have very vivid memories of Jonathan Frakes, again, being on set, saying, 'Old friends, old friends,' and he says that at the beginning of every take and it's just such a nice way to approach every scene."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Lieutenant Erica Ortegas, played by Melissa Navia, made an impression on fans despite being the only Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast member not to receive an episode focusing on them in the series' first season. That will change in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, which debuts on Thursday on Paramount+. Since the show's renewal became public, there have been promises that Ortegas would get more attention in Strange New Worlds' sophomore outing. Speaking to ComicBook.com during the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 press junket, Navia credits the fans with the increased spotlight on Ortegas but still thinks they'll want more by the time the season ends.

"I'm so unbelievably happy that fans expressed this desire to see more Ortegas, that there wasn't enough, and I think they're going to get a lot more in season two," Navia says. "But still, somehow, the more I think about it, I'm like, 'They're still not going to be happy,' which is good because that means we just have more to give them.

As far as what fans can expect from Ortegas in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Navia says, "What we see is we see such a confident, lovably cocky pilot of the Enterprise, and what we see in Season 2 is we see that that comes from a place of not being perfect, but demanding the best of yourself. And so we see her in situations in Season 2 where she suddenly does not think she is capable of doing what she has always been able to do, where she finds herself questioning things and trying to move forward. She has a back story as a soldier and with the war and how she discusses that with her crewmates. So we're going to see more of that camaraderie, more of that interplay, more of the relationships and what ties her to some of her crewmates.

As Navia describes it, digging into Ortegas is like peeling back layers of an onion. A really awesome onion.

"We're going to see that when somebody looks so awesome on the surface, they are that awesome, but there are all these layers underneath that contribute to that, and so we're definitely gonna see more of that," Navia says. "And I can't wait to hear what fans have to make of it and I can't wait for them to still be like, 'Not enough, more Ortegas.' Shout it from the rooftops, guys. Just peeling back layers"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

In Star Trek, it's been said that risk is a Starfleet officer's business. While that can often mean endangering their own life, it can also mean being put in situations where they are encouraged to act violently against others. While Starfleet takes these situations seriously, they can be even more complicated for Starfleet's medical officers, who also have to weigh their oaths as healers against the harm they may inflict on others. While some of Star Trek's doctors relish the opportunity to kick a little ass, others are more conflicted. Star Trek Strange New Worlds star Jess Bush told ComicBook.com about how this weighs on her character, Nurse Christine Chapel, and her colleague, Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), in the show's second season.

"Absolutely. You know, we see Chapel and M'Benga pushed to violence, and investigating what emotionally is going to take Chapel to that point, seeing as she's a healer, is very interesting and like navigating and investigating that was really, really great, and how we support each other in that space too, because obviously, we understand each other as healers probably more deeply than anyone else with our shared history," Bush told us during the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds press junket. "So choosing to enter a space that is going against our oath in that way is super complicated, yeah."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

It's clear to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fans that Captain Christopher Pike and his "Number One," First Officer Commander Una Chin-Riley, have a special relationship. If anyone knows what it means for a captain to have a special relationship with his first officer, it's Jonathan Frakes. Frakes played Commander William Riker, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's "Number One," through seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films before returning to the role in Star Trek: Picard. It makes sense then that Frakes, who has 30 Star Trek directorial credits across six different series (including Star Trek: Discovery, which reintroduced Pike and Number One, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' upcoming Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover episode) and two films, had something to do with establishing Pike and Una's relationship, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Rebecca Romijn revealed to ComicBook.com.

"I can only speak to us in our relationship, but I think Anson and I have agreed that our friendship goes back to Starfleet Academy days," Romijn said of Pike and Una's relationship when asked about during our chat at the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 virtual junket. "We are just friends that can see straight through each other and can call it out. And sometimes when Anson and I have these two-handers together, which always feel very grounded to me, I have very vivid memories of Jonathan Frakes, again, being on set, saying, 'Old friends, old friends,' and he says that at the beginning of every take and it's just such a nice way to approach every scene."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 debuts on Thursday on Paramount+, but eager Star Trek fans can get a lengthy sneak peek with a special episode of The Ready Room. Wil Wheaton hosts the preview and talks with stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck. He also recaps the highlights of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, debuts new footage from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, and shares pre-recorded comments from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman, executive producer Alex Kurtzman, and other members of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast. You can watch the video below.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 includes a crossover episode featuring Star Trek: Lower Decks voice actors Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner and Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler in live-action aboard the Enterprise. The crossover episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will also include animated scenes and was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard actor/director Jonathan Frakes. According to the season's official synopsis, "In season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the crew of the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories, and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will also embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any Star Trek series."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia.

CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Release Date

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in the United States, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Thursday, June 15th. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced later. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

A fan-favorite Star Trek: Lower Decks character will get a solo spotlight as part of Star Trek's first-ever comic book crossover, Day of Blood. IDW Publishing's current Star Trek line occurs within the established Star Trek canon, drawing from the classic television shows and the new streaming era series. As such, fans have gotten a glimpse into the history of Lt. Shaxs, the USS Cerritos' chief security officer in Star Trek Lower Decks. It turns out that Shaxs served under Captain Sisko aboard the USS Theseus during his special mission leading into the Star Trek: Day of Blood crossover event.

IDW has announced a new one-shot Day of Blood tie-in, Star Trek: Day of Blood -- Shaxs' Best Day. Ryan North is writing the issue. He previously wrote the first-ever Star Trek: Lower Decks comic book series for IDW. He's reteaming with art Derek Charm, who he previously worked with at Marvel on Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Here's the official synopsis from IDW Publishing:

"You've seen Captains Benjamin Sisko and Worf with their crews of the USS Theseus and Defiant stop the fascist, god-killing clone Kahless II from declaring war on non-followers across the galaxy in a brutal battle on Qo'noS. But you haven't seen it from the eyes of the man, the myth, the legend, Lieutenant Junior Grade Shaxs!"

North tells Popverse, "I was asked if I would be willing to write a Star Trek comic where Shaxs got to live his absolute best day and go completely ham on a bunch of fascist Klingons, and I said yes before our editor, Heather Antos, was even part-way through asking me. And it was only more exciting when I learned Derek Charm was on board to draw it -- we'd been trying to find a way to work together again since Squirrel Girl ended, so this was just great."

While it ties into the same story as the realistically drawn Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant ongoing series, North says that Shaxs' Best Day is "an oversized one-shot comic done in the Lower Decks animated style showing a single day in Shaxs's life that just happens to be his best day ever: he gets to kick fascist butt, ride an exploding starship, save the Defiant, invent a new way to use bat'leths in battle, and tons more... I've never written a comic that was non-stop fight scene before and now I never want to sto. Shaxs might be the perfect character??"

What is Star Trek: Day of Blood?

Star Trek: Day of Blood sees the casts of Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant dealing with the Red Path, the extremist faction led by Klingon Emperor Kahless II, intent on killing all godlike beings in the galaxy. Sisko and Worf must put their differences aside to stop Kahless' bloody aspirations.

"Star Trek was the original shared universe...so Collin, Chris, and I are deeply honored to continue to bring a line-wide continuity and intricately planned storyline to the new IDW comics line," Lanzing said in a statement when ComicBook.com first revealed Star Trek: Day of Blood #1. "Our very first pitch on this story included two interlocking ongoing titles that could build to a kind of event unlike any that Trek comics have managed before--an inspiring, mind-bending flagship series in Star Trek and a more subtle, dark, and dangerous series in Defiant. It was an absolute pipe dream of a pitch, one that we never imagined would become the backbone of a hit new comics line--nor unite us with a writer of Christopher Cantwell's caliber, who would push us to constantly deliver next-level comics storytelling, nor masterful artists like Ramon Rosanas and ?ngel Unzueta, who would elevate every page with their designs, artistry, and ambition. And now, one year into the line, we're finally ready to bring it all to a head with our very first line-wide comics event."

Star Trek: Day of Blood #1 goes on sale on July 19th. Star Trek: Day of Blood -- Shaxs' Best Day goes on sale on September 27th.

Star Trek has revealed the first details of Star Trek Infinite, the new stragety game from Paradox Interactive and Paramount Consumer Products. According to the official announcement, "Star Trek: Infinite puts players in command of one of four major powers in the galaxy, each with individualized traits, stories, quests, and more to make their play feel distinct. With stunning visuals, difficult choices, and unique gameplay, this game allows players to experience a beloved franchise in a new way as they navigate contact with other empires and worlds."

You can watch the trailer for Star Trek Infinite, below!

We are pleased to announce Star Trek: Infinite, a new game developed with the team at Nimble Giant Entertainment. Bringing the captivating fantasy of the Star Trek Universe into an experience not before had. Follow our social media accounts and save the date for June 16th, Picard Day, where we will make a full reveal of Star Trek: Infinite.

"It is an honor to bring one of entertainment's most iconic properties to life for our players and Star Trek's multigenerational fanbase," Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive said in a statement. "We know how much this franchise means to fans all over the world, and we are working closely with Nimble Giant and Paramount Consumer Products to create a faithful and fulfilling game that lives up to their expectations."

You can read additional details about Star Trek Infinite, below:

Paradox Interactive and Paramount Consumer Products Announce A New Grand Strategy Game, Star Trek: Infinite

Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before, Exploring Unique Stories And Quests On PC And macOS This Fall

Paradox Interactive and developer Nimble Giant Entertainment, under license from Paramount Consumer Products, today revealed Star Trek: Infinite, a grand strategy game based on the iconic sci-fi franchise. Set a few decades before Star Trek: The Next Generation, players will run an entire fleet within the Star Trek universe, commanding one of four major powers in the galaxy: the United Federation of Planets, Romulan Star Empire, Cardassian Union, or Klingon Empire. Star Trek: Infinite is coming to PC and macOS this Fall.

About Paradox Interactive

The Paradox group today consists of both publishing and internal development of games and brands. Paradox has a broad portfolio of games and owns the most important brands, including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, Prison Architect, Victoria, Age of Wonders and the World of Darkness catalog of brands.

Since 2004, the company has published its games all over the world, initially through physical distribution but primarily in digital channels after 2006. Paradox games are developed primarily for PC and console platforms, but the company also releases games on mobile. The largest markets today include the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. In total, Paradox games have over five million players each month.

About Paramount Consumer Products

Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, Paramount Consumer Products' portfolio includes a diverse slate of brands and content from BET, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and SHOWTIME(R). With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, Paramount Consumer Products is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world's most beloved, iconic franchises.

Star Trek Cryptic: A Puzzles and Pathways Adventure ($34.99) - Coming Soon: "Climb the ranks of Starfleet and explore strange new worlds in this puzzle-filled, action-packed "escape room" game. Using your PADD as your guide, you'll decipher subspace transmissions, discover alien civilizations, and prevent planetary disaster with logic, deduction, and creative thinking. Prepare to boldly go where no one has gone before!" Ages 10+ for 1 or more players

Scream The Game ($19.99) - Order on Amazon: "Would you like to play a game? The brutal killer Ghost Face is back in Woodsboro, and you'll have to combine wits to stay alive! As the clock ticks down, help each other escape the murderer...but watch out! If Ghost Face calls you, you are his next target! It's terrifying fun, you'll die to play again and again! Scream The Game is played with a free companion app starring Roger L. Jackson as Ghost Face!" Ages 13+ for 3-8 players

Big Boss ($34.99) - Order on Amazon: "The Golden Age of Industry has dawned. As skyscrapers-and profits- soar to new heights, now is the time to build your fortune. Launch companies and invest in new industries to earn capital. Buy shares of burgeoning businesses and reap the rewards of lucrative mergers. If you play your cards right, you'll forge a legacy worthy of the title Big Boss." Ages 10+ for 2-6 players

NUCK TATS ($19.99) - Order on Amazon (Coming Soon): NUCK TATS are messages tattooed on someone's knuckles. If it fits, anything goes. Each round, one player reveals a customer-a celebrity, character, mythical creature, whoever-and everyone else writes NUCK TATS for that customer. The best tat wins the round. And if your friends make you laugh, feel free to throw them a tip. It's that easy! Ages 10+ for 3-6 players

Paul Eckstein, an actor, writer, and producer whose work included Godfather of Harlem, Narcos, and Hoodlum, has passed away at the age of 59. His passing was announced in a statement from MGM+ and ABC Signature (via The Hollywood Reporter), revealing that he died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, June 6th, in Jamaica. Eckstein was in Jamaica to teach a screenwriting workshop for Strike Star Entertainment.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our brilliant colleague, Paul Eckstein, the co-creator and executive producer of Godfather of Harlem and a beloved member of the MGM+ and ABC Signature families," the statement reads. "Working on the series was a labor of love for Paul who based the show in part on his family's personal history. Paul was passionate, a creative force, known for his kindness, and generosity. He was a mentor and friend to many, and he will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and his longtime collaborator Chris Brancato."

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Eckstein graduated with honors from Brown University with degrees in both International Relations and Creative Writing. He then became a founding member of the Naked Angels Theater Company. His first producing credit was the 1997 film Hoodlum, starring Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth and Vanessa Williams.

He subsequently wrote for First Wave, The Dead Zone, Street Time, and eight episodes of Law & Order: Criminial Intent. He might be best known for leading the writers room and producing the first season of Netflix's hit series Narcos. He then produced Of Kings and Prophets, Revival, and created the MGM+ series Godfather of Harlem.

"When you talk about history, my biggest hope is that we continue to ignite this curiosity in people that they will go look at the history and discover who all these people are, and what went down, and what happened," Eckstein explained in an interview with Den of Geek. "Because we in America, we don't know poo about our history. And it really bothers me more and more because I see the ignorance every day, and all you got to do is go pick up a history book. But you're not going to do that, so you get to watch my TV show. The same with Narcos. Even if you read at the beginning and know that Chris and I are masters of making great drama out of being close to the facts, you should be then going to find out and make your own determination of what really happened. If that happens, then I win, I've done my job. I can look to grandma and say, 'Yeah, see grandma? Those things you told me? Didn't forget.'"

Eckstein's acting credits included nine appearances in the Star Trek franchise, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. He also appeared in Bella Mafia, Law & Order, and The Steve Harvey Show.

Our thoughts are with Eckstein's family, friends, and fans at this time.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 will reveal what may be the first meeting of two of Star Trek's most iconic characters. Celia Rose Gooding plays Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at an earlier point in her Starfleet career than Uhura was at when the late Nichelle Nichols originated her in Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek: Strange Worlds Season 2 also brings back Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, who is also not quite the captain fans know him to be yet. The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 trailer shows Uhura and Kirk sharing smiles over a drink. Kirk has a reputation as a lady's man and he and Uhura famously share a (telekinetically forced) kiss in an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (often cited as the first interracial kiss on television in the United States). ComicBook.com spoke to Gooding during the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 junket and asked about the nature of Kirk of Uhura's relationship when they meet this season.

"I can say that, without spoiling anything, I think Kirk's reputation definitely precedes him, and that where we meet Uhura, I think if she were in a less tender place of post-mourning the loss of one of her closest friends, I think that their introduction would be a bit different," Gooding says. "But because I know where they meet and how they meet and how it comes together, I would say that there are hints to anything being possible. And yeah, Kirk's reputation definitely precedes him and Uhura is a little preoccupied with everything that has just happened to her to really hone in on what's going on with this dude right now. That's where her head's at."

When is the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 release date?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia. CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, June 15th in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced at a later time. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Playing Pelia, the Enterprise's new Chief Engineer, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is Carol Kane's introduction to the world of sci-fi. Kane has had a stellar career as an actress, including an Academy Award-nominated performance in 1975's Hester Street, roles in beloved films including The Princess Bride, Scrooged, and Dog Day Afternoon, playing Madame Morrible on stage in Wicked, and her hilarious turn as landlady Lillian Kaushtupper in the Netflix original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But she tells ComicBook.com during the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 press junket that she has "never ever, ever -- did I say ever -- known anything about the sci-fi world. For some reason, it just wasn't something that I veered toward."

Yet, Kane's Strange New Worlds casting continues a recent trend in modern sci-fi, casting funny women in engineering roles. Star Trek: Discovery did it by casting comedian Tig Notaro as engineer Jet Reno, who's surprisingly sarcastic for a Starfleet officer. Fellow comedian Amy Sedaris brings a sillier energy to a similar role in the Star Wars universe, fixing up Din Djarin's ship as Pelli Motto in The Mandalorian. We asked Kane about the trend. She thinks the reason for it is pretty straightforward.

"I think the reason is because the people you mentioned, and certainly many, many more, are really good at it," Kane says. "I think that's the reason and that maybe for a long time people always thought, 'Oh, an an engineer is a man,' et cetera, but that's obviously changing, and then there's a big wonderful pool of talent that they can choose from, and so it's just a good evolution and it runs along with the times."

How Carol Kane Handles Star Trek's Technobabble

Kane goes on to say that since she's been "yanked" into the sci-fi realm, she's "just been having a ball," calling it "a great new discovery." But being an engineer in the Star Trek universe means speaking in the franchise's signature pseudo-scientific technical jargon that fans and series veterans call "technobabble." Kane shares with us her secret to getting those lines out.

"Repitition, repetition, repetition," she says. "That's it. For me, I just have to run it over and over and over and over until my mouth and my brain can wrap themselves around the technobabble and make it seem like something I'm knowledgeable about, and I have to know what I'm talking tabout to say it as well. That's the biggest challenge."

But playing Pelia comes with some exciting perks as well. "I think it's exciting to be playing someone who is not afraid of their own knowledge and their own power," Kane says. "There's kind of a freedom that I've been given by the way she was written and I just love that. It's a new thing for me."

When is the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 release date?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 also brings back special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane in the recurring role of Pelia. CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunners.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, June 15th in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced at a later time. New episodes of the 10-episode season will then debut weekly on Thursdays. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 is already streaming. It is also available as home media on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4k UHD.

Every Star Trek movie is streaming in the same place as of June 2023. The original 10 Star Trek movies have returned to Paramount+, joining the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek films starring Chris Pine. That makes Paramount+ the exclusive home of the Star Trek film franchise, at least for the time being, as well as the exclusive streaming home of every episode of Star Trek television. It's unclear how long this will last though, as Star Trek's movies seem to be one of those franchises that movies from one streaming library to another frequently, possibly owing to deals that predate Paramount+'s existence.

Paramount Home Entertainment released a box set of the first six Star Trek movies restored and in 4k for the first time in 2022. It also put these new editions of the films out on standard Blu-ray and video-on-demand. Paramount followed that up earlier in 2023 with the release of a box set bringing the four Star Trek: The Next Generation films to 4k, with a new restoration, for the first time. The Star Trek Kelvin Timeline movies are also available in 4k UHD individually or as a box set.

In 2021, ComicBook.com spoke to Rod Roddenberry, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's son and Roddenberry Entertainment's CEO, about the impact of the original Star Trek movies, specifically the three that comprise the informal "Genesis Trilogy." He said, "I don't know if this is what you're expecting, but I think the original series did a great job of showing a crew that was a family, but it still was a Kirk, Spock, and DeForest Kelley, and Bones with, I hate to call them supporting cast, but almost supporting cast with the show, George and Walter."

Roddenberry continued, "The movies brought that family together. The movies gave life and purpose and cohesion to all of those characters, and you get to see them interact more and come together and work together, not just as a crew, but as a group of people who loved each other and cared for one another. And I think, as you just said, II, III, and IV, and of course the first one, but II, III, and IV really did a phenomenal job of dealing with that. And how they dealt with the loss of Spock. And then he comes back, but how does he now fit back into the family? I think you nail it with that question. And I think that is a great sort of a three-part version of Star Trek, which just shows the love between them."

The entire Star Trek franchise is streaming now on Paramount+.