Everything to Know About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3

Before Captain Kirk, the U.S.S. Enterprise was helmed by Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One. It's a history that we knew about but hadn't been able to experience before the dawn of Paramount's Star Trek TV renaissance, which began with Star Trek: Discovery and continues later this year with the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+.

Strange New Worlds, which serves as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, is beloved by Trekkies. It's not just the smart, compelling characters, but also the classic Star Trek vibes of the series from unusual episodic formatting and delightfully nostalgic throwbacks. All that's to say: It's highly logical that fans can't wait for the upcoming Season 3 of Strange New Worlds.

For those boldly searching for all the details on Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, we'll try to answer all your questions. Keep reading below to learn when Strange New Worlds Season 3 premieres, who will star in the new season, and all the latest news about the Star Trek series.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 latest news

We finally have a trailer! Paramount+ has dropped a rather beefy 60-second trailer that includes teases for several different Season 3 adventures, including at least one that goes very heavy on a retro aesthetic that will give the Enterprise and its crew a very different look. Check it out.

When does Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 come out?

Paramount+ has not yet given a release date for Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but the streamer has confirmed a summer 2025 release window — you should expect Season 3 to premiere some time before the end of August.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 trailer

In addition to the proper first trailer embedded up above, Paramount has given us two extended clips from Season 3 of Strange New Worlds, including this five-minute clip in which some of the Enterprise's bridge crew turns themselves into Vulcans.

And at last fall's New York Comic-Con, we got another three-minute clip which appears to pick up immediately after Season 2's cliffhanger ending (more discussion about that below).

What will Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 be about?

Before diving into the plot of Strange New Worlds Season 3, it's helpful to recap the cliffhanger ending in Season 2. The Season 2 finale episode, "Hegemony" marks the return of the Gorn, a reptilian alien species. 

The hostile Gorn forces ambush the U.S.S. Cayuga and then target a nearby planet inhabited by a human colony. The Enterprise arrives afterward to find the wreckage of the Starfleet ship. The Gorn jammed communicators and transporters, but members of the Enterprise found a way to get to the planet's surface undetected. Pike and his crew found survivors, who were safe thanks to a cloaking device. Behind the creation of the device was none other than legacy engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Martin Quinn) — marking his introduction to the Strange New Worlds series.

Meanwhile, the Gorn jammer was destroyed using Cayuga's wreckage allowing Pike, Scott, and Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) to beam aboard the Enterprise. While these key individuals were safe, the Gorn ended up capturing La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), and the other survivors. The finale ended as Pike was ordered to retreat, leaving viewers to wonder whether he would follow orders or save his crew. 

Based on the New York Comic-Con clip, Season 3 of Strange New Worlds picks up right where Season 2 left off. We see Pike flustered and struggling, unlike his normally cool, calm, and collected self. Deciding to bend the orders, he opts to save those on the Gorn ship and finds a way to penetrate the enemy's shields with the help of those on deck. 

Beyond what's seen in the New York Comic-Con clip, we are unsure what Season 3 will have in store. Since Strange New Worlds typically tells a new story each episode, it's hard to theorize what's coming. When asked to describe the third season at New York Comic-Con, showrunner Henry Alonso Myers said, "Dancing, murder, and surprise."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 cast

The entire Enterprise crew will be back for Season 3. Along with the news of Rhys Darby joining the cast this season in an unknown role, it's also been confirmed that Irish actor Cillian O'Sullivan (The Boy That Never Was) will have a recurring guest role as Dr. Roger Korby. 

Fans have been speculating which character Darby will bring to the show, with top contenders including Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer), Tobin Dax (the second host of the Dax symbiont), Sybok (Spock's older half-brother), and Cyrano Jones (the merchant who introduced tribbles to Enterprise). But after seeing Darby pop up very briefly in the first trailer for Season 3, the new top candidate for Darby's role is the mysterious and reality-altering alien Trelane, who made an extremely memorable appearance in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Squire of Gothos." The retro aesthetic seen in the trailer is further evidence for this, since Trelane would probably be able to make that happen — he's pretty much a god.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Main Cast:

• Anson Mount as Christopher Pike
• Ethan Peck as Spock
• Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh
• Jess Bush as Christine Chapel
• Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura
• Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas
• Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga
• Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley / Number One
• Carol Kane as Pelia
• Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk
• Martin Quinn as Montgomery Scott
• Cillian O'Sullivan as Roger Korby
• Rhys Darby
• Patton Oswalt

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 renewal

Along with the upcoming third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paramount+ has already renewed the series for a fourth season. When announced in April 2024, it was also confirmed Star Trek: Lower Decks will conclude with the current fifth season.

Where to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available to stream on Paramount+.

Along with Strange New Worlds, Paramount+ is the home of everything Star Trek. Subscribers will also get access to Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discover, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and more.