What’s Next For Star Trek Now That The Actors’ Strike Is Over

Now that the actors’ strike has ended, Star Trek can resume production on movies and TV shows, and here’s what this means for 2024 and beyond. After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike ended at midnight on Thursday, November 9, following reaching a tentative “deal of extraordinary scope… valued at over one billion dollars.” Once SAG-AFTRA’s membership ratifies the deal, it effectively means that actors can return to work on movies and TV projects, and this includes the various projects in the works for Star Trek on Paramount+.

The Writer’s Guild of America strike that lasted from May to September and the SAG-AFTRA strike that ran from July to November not only halted movie and TV production in Hollywood, but it also stopped the actors from making the press rounds or even publicly speaking about their projects on social media and fan conventions. Fallout included Paramount+ scrapping its plans to stage media events to promote the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ cast being unable to speak about some of the biggest episodes of season 2, like the crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek‘s first-ever musical episode, and Lower Decks‘ actors banned from promoting the just-ended Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4. But with the dual strikes now settled and Hollywood moving forward with myriad productions, here’s what’s known about what to expect from Star Trek in 2024 and 2025.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Promotion Can Start For Its 2024 Release

This is the final season of Star Trek: Discovery.

Paramount+ canceled Star Trek: Discovery in March and announced season 5 would be the final season, but the streamer’s plans to stage media events to hype Discovery season 5 were scuttled by the writers’ and actors’ strikes. But now, promotion can finally begin to build toward Star Trek: Discovery season 5, and that also means Paramount+ will announce the official release date in the coming days or weeks. Discovery season 5 is the biggest show Star Trek on Paramount+ has in 2024, and it’s likely the absence of promotion was due to the strikes and the desire to have cast members Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Anthony Rapp, etc. able to talk up the final season of Discovery. All of this can now begin in earnest.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Can Resume Production

Strange New Worlds season 3’s production was supposed to start in May 2023.

Production of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 can finally resume in Toronto now that the actors’ strike is over. Most Strange New Worlds season 3 scripts were already written when production was supposed to commence in May, and writing restarted after the WGA strike was settled in September. It’s unclear if the actors will be called back to Toronto by the end of the year or if filming won’t begin until 2024. While Paramount+ releasing Strange New Worlds season 3 by the end of 2024 may be possible, it’s more likely, given the time needed to complete editing and visual effects, that season 3 won’t arrive until 2025. Of course, fans can’t be blamed for wanting to see Strange New Worlds season 2’s finale cliffhanger resolved as soon as possible.

Star Trek: Section 31 Movie Can Start Production

Section 31 is the first made-for-streaming on Paramount+ Star Trek movie.

Star Trek: Section 31 was supposed to start production in fall 2023, but executive producer Alex Kurtzman assured the fans at New York Comic Con that Section 31’s Academy Award-winning star, Michelle Yeoh, used her clout to ensure the movie is “moving forward.” Section 31 is written by Craig Sweeny and will be directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi. Although no other cast members besides Yoeh have been announced, nor have any key details, such as when the film starring the time-tossed anti-heroine Emperor Philippa Georgiou will be set, details should be forthcoming as the project moves into the production phase in 2024. It’s possible Star Trek: Section 31 could release later in 2024 on Paramount+, but 2025 wouldn’t be surprising.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Will Start Production In 2024

Starfleet Academy’s writers include Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Tawny Newsome.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was announced in April as a new series aimed at YA audiences, with Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau (Nancy Drew) as co-showrunners. Star Trek: Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome will also lend her comedic voice to Starfleet Academy as a writer. Starfleet Academy was earmarked to start production after Star Trek: Discovery season 5’s release, which now puts it on course to start filming sometime in 2024 for a tentative 2025 release. No other details, such as cast or characters, or even the setting, have been announced about Starfleet Academy, but it is ostensibly a spinoff continuing Discovery‘s 32nd-century timeline.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Will Release In 2024

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 is in production.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 is the only other Star Trek series besides Discovery season 5 confirmed to release on Paramount+ in 2024. Lower Decks season 4 just ended with Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and the USS Cerritos saving the galaxy, with a clear setup for season 5 after Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi (Noel Wells) left Starfleet to rejoin the Orion Syndicate. Lower Decks season 5’s scripts are finished, which was confirmed by showrunner Mike McMahan, and Star Trek‘s first-ever animated comedy will likely be released on Paramount+ in its usual late summer/early fall timeframe in 2024.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Will Release In 2024

Netflix is Star Trek: Prodigy’s new streaming home.

A dedicated fan effort saved Star Trek: Prodigy after Paramount+ canceled the beloved all-audiences Star Trek animated series in June, and Netflix is now Prodigy’s new streaming home. All 20 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 will stream on Christmas Day on Netflix, with the next 20 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 arriving sometime in 2024. Like Star Trek: Lower Decks, production of Star Trek: Prodigy wasn’t affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike, but Prodigy‘s voice actors like Kate Mulgrew, Brett Gray, and Ella Purnell honored their union by not promoting or publicly speaking about Star Trek: Prodigy. But with the strikes over, promotion for Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix will ramp up as the last batch of season 2’s 20 episodes finish post-production.

Will Paramount Plus Greenlight Star Trek: Legacy?

No Star Trek: Picard season 3 spinoff is in development.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 was a wildly popular success for Paramount+, but despite Picard season 3 ending with a clear setup for a continuation spinoff overseen by showrunner Terry Matalas, the series dubbed Star Trek: Legacy is not in development. Or are there any apparent plans by Paramount+ to greenlight Star Trek: Legacy despite a concerted online fan effort to make Legacy happen the way Star Trek: Prodigy was saved by fans. Now that the strikes are over, it’s possible that Star Trek: Legacy could happen, but Star Trek on Paramount+ is reacting to the financial belt-tightening happening across the entire streaming industry, and the Star Trek: Picard season 3 spinoff may simply not be in the plans for the franchise’s future direction.

Will Star Trek 4 Movie Be Announced In 2024?

Is the next Star Trek movie a reboot or will Chris Pine’s Enterprise cast return?

The next J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek movie is under the auspices of Paramount Pictures, and Star Trek 4 has been mired in development hell for several years. Following the end of the writer’s strike, Variety reported that Star Trek 4 was a “priority” for Paramount, and the verbiage hinted the next Star Trek movie could be a “reboot” instead of the return of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk. The planned December 2023 release date for Star Trek 4 was scrapped as the film was unable to come together due to “creative differences” and the departure of attached high-profile directors, but 2024 may finally be the year the next Star Trek movie gets announced or underway. With the 60th anniversary of the franchise happening in 2026, this might be the time a new Star Trek movie could finally hit theaters.

Every Star Trek series and movie is streaming on Paramount+ except Star Trek: Prodigy, which will stream on Netflix.