Since 2017, Paramount+ has been the home of a wide array of new Star Trek shows. Over the past couple of years, many have stopped their respective five-year missions. But as those shows end, another is beginning. The upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will welcome a new generation of Starfleet recruits, headed by a few legendary actors
Here’s everything to know about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
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What is Starfleet Academy about?
This new series will follow a group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.
Meet the cast of Starfleet Academy
Holly Hunter (Nahla Ake)
Holly Hunter takes on the role of captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy. Hunter won the Oscar for her role in The Piano, which also landed Anna Paquin an Oscar in her first major acting role. She has also been nominated for an Academy Award for her roles in Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen. Other roles Hunter is known for include Raising Arizona, voicing Elastigirl in The Incredibles, and starring and producing the television series Saving Grace.
“It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius,” co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau told Variety. “To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on ‘Starfleet Academy’ is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of ‘Star Trek.’”
Miller Mobley/Paramount+
Paul Giamatti (Nus Braka)
Giamatti joins the cast in a recurring guest star role-playing Nus Braka, a half-Klingon, half-Tellarite villain with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets. Co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman & Noga Landau said about Giamatti, “Sometimes you’re lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge Star Trek fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us. The sheer delight with which he dove in on Starfleet Academy is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast.”
Giamatti is probably best known for his role in Sideways. He has been nominated for many awards, including SAG, BAFTA, Golden Globes, and, most recently, an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Holdovers.Previous credits include award-winning turns in the television series Too Big to Fail and the limited series, John Adams.
Related: Paul Giamatti Shares His Deeply Personal Connection to His Latest Movie, The Holdovers
Tig Notaro (Jett Reno)
Notaro had a recurring role on Star Trek: Discovery as Chief Engineer Jett Reno and soon became a fan favorite. Notaro is best known for her stand-up comedy and has made appearances on New Girl, The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Morning Show, and Army of the Dead. She has lent her voice talent to characters on Tuca & Bertie, Bob’s Burgers, and Young Jedi Adventures.
Robert Picardo (The Doctor)
Robert Picardo previously appeared as the hologram “The Doctor” on Star Trek: Voyager and will reprise his role for Starfleet Academy. Picardo has over 250 credits to his name and has appeared most recently in A Biltmore Christmas along with Star Trek alum Jonathan Frakes, and in episodes of Young Sheldon, Quantum Leap, and NCIS.
Related: A Writer Finds Herself Back in Time in Hallmark Channel’s A Biltmore Christmas
Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly)
Wiseman will reprise her Star Trek: Discovery role as Sylvia Tilly in a guest-starring capacity. Tilly had left the Discovery in Season 4 to take on a teaching position at the Academy, later returning to the ship. At the end of the series, she ultimately returns to teaching at the Academy. Wiseman’s previous credits include Longmire, Baskets, and Carole & Grey.
Oded Fehr (Admiral Charles Vance)
Oded Fehr will guest star as Admiral Vance, the Starfleet admiral in the 32nd century. Fehr is best known for his role as Ardeth Bay in The Mummy movie franchise. Previous credits include The Blacklist, the FBI franchise, Once Upon a Time and Blood & Treasure.
Gina Yashere (Commander Lura Thok)
Thok is a Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid who is the chancellor’s First Officer and Cadet Master.
The British comedian and creator of Bob Hearts Abishola will join the cast in a recurring guest-starring role as an instructor at the Academy. Her acting roles include playing Kemi in Bob Heart Abishola, Crashing, The Neighborhood, and The Barbarian and the Troll. No information has been released about the character Yashere will play, but she has been cast in a recurring role.
Tatiana Maslany
Maslany will have a recurring guest role in the first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Maslany is best known for playing multiple characters on Orphan Black. Other credits include The Vow, Heartland, and playing the lead role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
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Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir)
Mir is an orphan with a troubled past – and unlikely Starfleet cadet. Rosta recently graduated from the Oxford School of Drama. During this time, he starred as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Trofimov in The Cherry Orchard and made his professional debut at Hampstead Theatre.
Karim Diané (Jay-Den Kraag)
Kraag is a Klingon cadet who dreams of becoming a medical officer. Diané recently starred in the hit series One Of Us Is Lying and opposite Gabourey Sidibe in 1266. The Guinean actor and singer got his start as a contestant on The X Factor.
Kerrice Brooks (Series Acclimation Mil a.k.a. SAM)
Sam is the first of her kind to ever attend Starfleet Academy. Brooks, an actress and professional dancer, will make her feature film debut this year in My Old Ass, produced by Margot Robbie and directed by Megan Park. Brooks got her start as a professional dancer performing with elite artists including Billie Eilish, Kanye West, Lil’ Nas, and Kelly Rowland.
George Hawkins (Darem Reymi)
Reymi is an aspiring captain from a wealthy home world. Hawkins is best known for playing Dylan in Tell Me Everything. His previous credits include Sean in the BAFTA-nominated film Boiling Point and Adam in the feature film Gassed Up.
Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe)
Lythe is an admiral’s daughter determined to make her own name in Starfleet. Shepard was recently the lead of the Paramount+ Series, Wolf Pack and is best known for her previous Brat Series’ On the Ropes and A Girl Named Jo, and as the lead in the series, Two Sides.
Zoë Steiner (Tarima Sadal)
Sadal is a Betazoid and daughter of the president of Betazed. Australian-born Steiner recently made her professional debut in the lead role of Hanna in Significant Others.
Check out this video of the young actors learning they aced their auditions and are joining the Star Trek family!
What other Academy Award-winning actors have appeared on Star Trek?
Several! The following actors have not only appeared in a Star Trek movie or series, they have also won an Oscar (for a non-Star Trek role).
Whoopi Goldberg, Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Ghost, 1991
F. Murray Abraham, Best Actor in a Leading Role – Amadeus, 1985
Michelle Yeoh, Best Actress in a Leading Role – Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2023
Christopher Plummer, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Beginners, 2012
Paul Williams, Best Music, Original Song – A Star is Born, 1977
Joel Grey, Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Cabaret, 1973
Louise Fletcher, Best Actress – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1976
Where is Starfleet Academy filming?
Starfleet Academy wasfilmed in Toronto.
When is Starfleet Academy filming?
Starfleet Academy began production on Aug. 26, 2024. Check out this Instagram post marking the first day of production.
View this post on Instagram
When is the release date of Starfleet Academy?
No official premiere date has been announced for Starfleet Academy, but is slated to premiere in early 2026.
Where can I watch Starfleet Academy?
Starfleet Academy will stream exclusively on Paramount+.
Is there a trailer for Starfleet Academy?
A teaser trailer was dropped during Comic-Con San Diego 2025. Check it out below.
Will there be a Season 2 of Starfleet Academy?
Yes! It was announced at New York Comic-Con that Starfleet Academy has already been picked up for a second season, while the show is currently in production on its first season.
Check out images from Starfleet Academy
Take a look at some select images from Starfleet Academy.
Starfleet Academy
Paramount+
Miller Mobley/Paramount+
What other Star Trek series are there?
Courtesy of Paramount+
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery ran for five seasons. The fifth season found Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery facing a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered. With Federation and non-Federation worlds alike feeling the impact, they crew must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all.
Related: 15 of Patrick Stewart’s Funniest Twitter Photos
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Picard follows former Starfleet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in his retirement. After leaving Starfleet in protest, Picard is trying to live the quiet life of a vintner on his chateau in France. When a strange young woman shows up at his vineyard asking for his help, Picard feels compelled to help her. When he sees her extraordinary skills, he is reminded of his old friend Data (Brent Spiner), a synthetic being who had always yearned for a daughter. Seeking answers to his own questions, Picard is pulled back into space travel as he races to save the young woman’s identical twin sister from Romulan assassins intent on killing her and all of her kind.
The third and final season of Star Trek: Picard found Jean-Luc reuniting with old friends as they grappled with an invasion amongst the highest ranking Starfleet officers.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Picard, Including Season 3 Art and Cast Reveals
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated series geared toward an older audience. It follows the support crew of Starfleet’s least important ship, the U.S.S. Cerritos and features the voice talents of Jack Quaid, Tawny Newsome, and DawnnLewis. The animated show ran for five seasons on Paramount+..
Courtesy of Paramount+
Star Trek: Prodigy
Star Trek: Prodigy is another animated series, this one geared toward a younger audience. It follows a motley crew of six young aliens who must figure out how to work together after they commandeer a Starfleet vessel they know nothing about. Prodigy features the voice talents of Kate Mulgrew, John Noble and Jimmi Simpson. The series was cancelled by Paramount+, but a second season was picked up by Netflix which also airs the first season.
Related: Why Star Trek Still Resonates With Fans 50 Years Later
Star Trek: Section 31
Star Trek: Section 31 is a standalone movie event starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh who reprises her role as Emperor Phillipa Georgiou – the alternate universe version. Georgiou, joins Section 31, a clandestine division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past. The film dropped Jan. 24, 2025 on Paramount+.
Related: Jamie Lee Curtis Makes Her ‘Star Trek’ Debut: Get the Scoop on How It Happened (Exclusive)
Star Trek: Khan
This podcast series will feature the voice talents of Naveen Andrews as Kahn, Tim Russ as Tuvok and George Takei as Sulu. Check out the trailer below.
Star Trek “Origin Story”
This yet-to-be-titled film is said to be an origin story that takes place about a decade before the events of the original 2009 Star Trek film that starred Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and Zoe Saldana though it’s unlikely any of these actors will return for this origin story film. Production is slated to begin later this year.
Related: The ‘Star Trek’ Update Fans Have Been Waiting For
