I'm Worried Star Trek's New Show May Already Be Dead, Despite a 2-Season Order

Just in time for the 60th anniversary of the universe created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will bring to the screen an idea that’s existed for almost as many years. The new show for Paramount+ will follow a crew of cadets training to serve among the ranks of Starfleet heroes in the 32nd Century. As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I’m eager to see this idea finally come to life, but I’m worried Starfleet Academy might already be dead despite its two-season order. There is even a chance fans won’t get to see it at all. The pending merger between Paramount and SkyDance faces legal troubles, including a frivolous lawsuit from the sitting President of the United States.

The studio operates in a kind of limbo which prevents them from conducting business, like extending the South Park creators’ deal, renewing beloved kids’ shows like The Tiny Chef and, more relevant to my concerns, determining the future of Star Trek. The creation of Starfleet Academy and its two-season order predates the merger, and it’s a story that’s a long time coming. In 1969, Filmation pitched an animated series to NBC, which would put Starfleet cadets on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. About 20 years later, film producer Harve Bennett pitched a prequel movie to Paramount focused on the academy days of Kirk, Spock and Doctor McCoy. When the studio canceled Enterprise, the idea of a Starfleet Academy series resurfaced before executives shelved their oldest franchise. If the SkyDance merger goes through, the series, starring Holly Hunter, Tatiana Maslany, Paul Giamatti and legacy actor Robert Picardo, could become its first casualty.

There Are Many Seasons of New Star Trek Shows In Production Right Now

The Paramount Merger and End of the Secret Hideout Deal Are a Ticking Clock

Shortly before the world premiere of Strange New Worlds Season 3, Paramount announced the Star Trek show’s renewal for a fifth and final season. Paramount announced its fourth season renewal in early 2024 after the third faced delays because Hollywood studios forced writers and actors to strike. In fact, Strange New Worlds Season 4 went into production almost immediately after the first season of Starflet Academy completed filming in February 2025. The fourth season is expected to complete its filming in July, and filming for the second season of Starfleet Academy will likely get underway.

Since launching Star Trek’s third wave in 2017 with Discovery, greenlighting new series with two seasons became de rigueur for Paramount. This also seems to be the case for ending a show with its fifth season, save for Picard, which was always a three-seasons-and-out deal with Patrick Stewart. Because of the merger delay, the deal with Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout set to end in 2026 is in the same kind of limbo as other Paramount business. It’s a race for the production company to finish work on both Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy before time runs out.

Rumors abound about Star Trek’s future, including a terrible idea that SkyDance may “shelve” Paramount’s most profitable franchise for a few years. It’s unclear if Secret Hideout will continue to produce Star Trek, either exclusively as it has been or in concert with other production companies. SkyDance has its roots as a production company, and the future CEO of the merged Paramount, David Ellison, may want his people to take over production and development of new films and shows.

Starfleet Academy Might Be a Dead Series Already, Depending on Paramount’s Future

Even Worse, SkyDance Could Shelve the Series Like Warner Bros. Did to Batgirl

Ahead of Strange New Worlds’ July 17, 2025, debut, there are five new seasons of Star Trek in various stages of production. So, it might seem like I am overreacting about the future of the universe after the merger. Starfleet Academy is a show concept that’s existed for half acentury, and Paramount finally greenlit it to attract new fans to this universe. Set after the events of Discovery Season 5, the show can feature legacy characters from that series and even brought in the holographic Doctor from Voyager. The series even features two Academy Award-winning actors with Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, who campaigned for the role.

Both Star Wars and Trek fan communities are passionate, picky and part of the cultural fabric, but the latter just doesn’t have the numbers of the former. Historically, new Star Trek fans found it in syndication or, later, streaming, but since Paramount locked the entire universe behind the Paramount+ paywall, that growth can’t happen. People can’t discover these new series, unless they subscribe to Paramount+ and effectively seek the shows. Starfleet Academy is the perfect idea for a show to “sell” Star Trek to new, younger fans. Still, I worry how the merger (and its delayed closing) will affect it.

From what’s been reported in the Hollywood trades, the Secret Hideout deal is both expensive and exclusive. While the specifics aren’t public, it’s a certainty Starfleet Academy will end if the merged Paramount does not renew it. Yet that’s not the worst-case scenario. Companies enjoy unique tax and business opportunities in the immediate aftermath of a merger. Like Warner Bros. Discovery did to the nearly-completed Batgirl movie, SkyDance/Paramount could end up writing off both of Starfleet Academy’s seasons, making it effectively illegal to ever release. With massive debt concerns, there is a “non-zero” chance the new series and even Strange New Worlds Season 4 never make it to screens.

Why There’s a Glimmer of Hope SkyDance and Paramount Won’t Kill The Show

Starfleet Academy Is Worth More to the Studio Than a Mere Tax Write-Off

If loving Star Trek for 40 years taught me anything, it’s that there is always a glimmer of hope even in the darkest moments. The future of Starfleet Academy isn’t completely bleak. Even if the studio doesn’t renew Alex Kurtzman’s deal, such contracts usually have provisions allowing for shows already in production to continue until they are canceled. Not only that, the studio already made serious investments into this show, including “the most massive” Star Trek set ever built, according to Starfleet Academy director Jonathan Frakes.

Along with its stacked cast, Starfleet Academy also represents something that audiences might want in tumultuous times. Like The Original Series, the show’s concept primes storytellers to build episodes around the ideals and wish for a hopeful future Star Trek does best. Focusing on young people learning how to fit in the ranks with heroes like Kirk, Picard, Kathryn Janeway or Michael Burnham is a fresh concept for the six-decade-old universe. There’s a slim chance Starfleet Academy makes it to the fifth season its third-wave peers have. Even if it only gets two seasons, there’s an even better chance viewers will get to watch them.

Studio executives are often callous and driven by the need to create profit for shareholders. WB Discovery’s David Zaslav sees art as “content”, no different from the reality shows his company is known for. David Ellison, however, is a true “creative” executive. This means he understands the creative process and the value of something like Star Trek. It would be truly shocking if under his leadership, Paramount locked away these series. Especially since every Star Trek show continues to draw viewers (and revenue) long after cancelation. Starfleet Academy is Star Trek’s best chance to grow the fanbase, but it faces the most difficult journey of any Starfleet crew yet.