Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Babs Olusanmokun on What's Next for M'Benga in Season 2 (Exclusive)

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.