The adventures of the Enterprise are coming to an end once more. With just over a month to go to the broadcast of its third season, Paramount has confirmed that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will end with its fifth season.
The newly-confirmed fifth season will run for six episodes, down from Strange New Worlds‘ typical 10-episode seasons. No expected release window for the final season was confirmed, however the show’s fourth season, already announced back in April 2024, is currently in production.
“From the very beginning, Strange New Worlds set out to honor what Star Trek has always stood for–boundless curiosity, hope and the belief that a better future is possible,” executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Alex Kurtzman said in a joint statement provided via press release. “We’re deeply grateful to Paramount+ for the chance to complete our five-season mission, just as we envisioned it, alongside our extraordinary cast and crew. And to the passionate fans who’ve boldly joined us on this journey–THANK YOU. With three more spectacular seasons ahead for you to see and enjoy, this adventure is far from over.”
Strange New Worlds‘ conclusion follows a trend set in Star Trek‘s streaming renaissance by Discovery and Lower Decks before it, which also both ran for five seasons. But it also marks a turning point towards the end of that era: after the disastrous release of the Section 31 movie earlier this year, and the all-but-confirmed conclusion of Star Trek: Prodigy after its exodus to Netflix, with the confirmation of Strange New Worlds‘ end just one Star Trek series will remain active for now, the still-in-production Starfleet Academy (set in the 32nd century setting first explored in Discovery), which has already been renewed for a second season.
Star Trek‘s future beyond it may lie in future series, but the only close-to-certain projects we currently know of are films. A new film exploring the foundational years of Starfleet is currently in the works from director Toby Haynes, while Patrick Stewart has openly discussed plans for a potential return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard in a new film, presumably set after the conclusion of Star Trek: Picard.
Strange New Worlds returns for its third season on July 17, with a two-episode premiere. We’ll bring you more on the future of Star Trek as and when we learn it.
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