The news that Star Trek: Prodigy has been picked up by Netflix raises some interesting questions about the streaming future of the Star Trek franchise. Following a passionate fan campaign, Netflix was announced as the new home for the animated Star Trek series after it was unceremoniously dropped from Paramount+. The cancelation of Prodigy was a bizarre move by Paramount, which made a mockery of their promise to be the home of all things Star Trek. With 24 episodes in various stages of production, Prodigy could have easily filled the gaps in their 2024 Star Trek schedules caused by the WGA strike, and the ongoing industrial action by SAG-AFTRA.
Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 is set to start streaming on Netflix in early 2024, continuing the story of Dal R’El (Brett Gray) and his crew of young Starfleet hopefuls. It’s already been revealed that Star Trek: Voyager‘s EMH, the Doctor (Robert Picardo) will appear in the new series, alongside returning legacy characters like Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Even more exciting for fans of Star Trek: Voyager was the news that Prodigy season 2’s hero ship will be the USS Voyager-A. With Prodigy season 2 now secured, attention will predictably turn to what this Netflix deal means for the wider Star Trek franchise.
What Prodigy’s Netflix Deal Means For Star Trek’s Future
The most immediate result of Star Trek: Prodigy‘s Netflix deal is that fans will now have to switch between streaming services. Internationally, this was the state of play before Paramount+ launched, with a variety of streaming services including Prime Video and Netflix hosting the likes of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery. After the huge success of Star Trek: Picard season 3 and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, it’s very odd that Paramount have already begun selling off other Trek shows to their rival streamers. Not least because it feels like no time at all since Paramount+ based its marketing strategy on being the home of the Star Trek franchise.
Now that Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will stream on Netflix, the franchise is now targeting audiences outside those Paramount+ subscribers. Prodigy is both a great primer for younger audiences, and a thoroughly entertaining backdoor Star Trek: Voyager sequel for older viewers. It’s therefore possible that Netflix subscribers who stumble upon Prodigy could be inspired to seek out more Star Trek from Paramount+. The biggest outstanding question about what the Netflix deal means for the future of Star Trek is whether the streaming service has an option to commission Prodigy season 3. If not, then Prodigy‘s resurrection could be disappointingly short-lived.
Could Netflix Buy More Star Trek Shows?
If Paramount+ is no longer tied to their promise to be the home of Star Trek, then there is a small possibility that other shows could end up joining Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix. The cancelation of Prodigy was so abrupt that there was an uncomfortable feeling that no Star Trek show was truly safe on Paramount+. Mike McMahan has stated that Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ future is uncertain beyond season 5. As the Prodigy debacle has proved, the confirmation of a Lower Decks season 5 isn’t necessarily a cast-iron guarantee for that fifth season to start streaming on Paramount+.
Should the unthinkable happen, Mike McMahan and the Lower Deckers could take some comfort from the good news about Star Trek: Prodigy season 2. It seems that the only way Netflix would buy more Star Trek shows is if Paramount were to cancel another show mid-production. Given that audiences and industry commentators are wise to this cost-cutting loophole, it seems likely that the studios may be more wary about future high-profile cancelations. However, if the hypothetical worst was to happen and Paramount+ pulled Star Trek: Lower Decks before or after season 5, it’s fair to say that the fans would rally behind it like they did with Prodigy, making it an appealing prospect to Netflix.
How Does Saving Prodigy Affect Star Trek: Legacy?
Alongside the campaign to save Star Trek: Prodigy, fans have been petitioning Paramount+ to make Star Trek: Legacy. If the Prodigy petition helped to prove to Netflix that there was a demonstrable audience for the Star Trek show, then surely the Legacy petition could do something similar. However, making Terry Matalas’ proposed Star Trek: Picard spinoff is a more complicated proposition for a number of reasons. While Prodigy showrunners Dan and Kevin Hageman were able to take the petition to Netflix, they also had 24 episodes in various states of readiness. Terry Matalas’ Legacy doesn’t have this luxury, nor do Netflix has the power to commission a new Star Trek show.
Only Alex Kurtzman and Paramount+ have the power to greenlight Star Trek: Legacy and as the streamers are tightening their belts it will be harder to justify a new show. Star Trek: Prodigy was a unique case because production was allowed to continue after its cancelation. Legacy is a different proposition, but the positive response to the Prodigy petition should give Terry Matalas and his potential cast some hope. As with Star Trek: Prodigy, the Legacy petition has shown the appetite for the Star Trek: Picard spinoff. Hopefully this demonstrable audience will be enough to convince Paramount to continue the story of Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) into Star Trek‘s 25th century.
