Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Eyes Kirk Prequel Series

The creative team behind Star Trek: Strange New Worlds announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they aim to conclude the series with its fifth season—though they're far from done exploring the Star Trek universe. In fact, they're already envisioning a potential spinoff focused on Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk during his first year as captain.

Passing the Torch from Pike to Kirk

"Nothing would excite us more than continuing to explore how Captain Pike's crew evolves into Kirk's crew and how Kirk's legendary mission begins," showrunner Henry Alonso Myers told Entertainment Weekly during SDCC.

"By the time we meet them in The Original Series, these characters already share established relationships—we're fascinated by how those bonds formed," he added. "There’s so much potential to delve into Sulu's early days, McCoy's extended journey, and even introduce Chekov. The opportunity is thrilling."

Filling in the Gaps of Canon

Myers noted that he and co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman have developed narrative plans for characters who don’t appear in later canonical Star Trek stories. "Just because certain crew members aren’t seen again doesn’t mean their stories end," he teased.

The producers urged fans to voice their support for a prequel series. "We’re making our case loudly to the studio," Myers admitted. "These sets already exist—Paramount owns them and profits from them. Why not put them to further use?"

Sticking the Landing First

Before any spinoff discussions, the focus remains on delivering a strong finale. "However much we dream about future projects, season 5 needs to conclude Strange New Worlds perfectly," Myers emphasized.

With season 3’s third episode previewed at SDCC and season 4 now complete, season 5 production looms—bringing that dream spinoff closer to reality, provided fans show their enthusiasm.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently streaming on Paramount+.