Star Trek’s Next Show Will Bring Back Klingons With A Massive Twist

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will bring back Klingons with a massive twist. Executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, Starfleet Academy is the newest Paramount+ Star Trek series, which is headlined by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, with Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti playing season 1's mystery villain. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is expected to premiere in 2026, and season 2 begins filming later this year.

Ahead of Star Trek's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Entertainment Weekly revealed a dozen first-look images offering the first glimpse of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. In EW, Alex Kurtzman confirms that Klingons will not only be a part of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but the series will introduce a "Klingon hybrid species who are several of our main characters," including, potentially, Paul Giamatti's villain. See Alex's quote below:

Kurtzman does confirm Klingons will be a part of the show; more specifically a "Klingon hybrid species who are several of our main characters." Could that be Giamatti's particular role? "It might be," Kurtzman responds. "We'll see."

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Could Have Several Klingon Hybrid Characters

Is Paul Giamatti's Villain A Hybrid Klingon?

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy incorporating several Klingon hybrid characters is an intriguing development. Starfleet Academy is a direct spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, which controversially revamped the Klingons. Discovery abandoned their Klingons after the series jumped to the 32nd century in season 3, and Klingons have not been seen in the far future era ever since, although they do appear in their most popular form in other Star Trek shows like Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's first-look images in EW show a Klingon cadet played by Karim Diane. However, another character, played by Gina Yashere, appears to be a hybrid of a Klingon and a Jem'Hadar from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Yashere's character's uniform has the Klingon symbol incorporated in its tunic. Paul Giamatti's villain also looks to be part Klingon, with pointed ears like a Vulcan.

Our Take On Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's Hybrid Klingons

Klingons Will Be Very Different In The 32nd Century

Since the other Star Trek shows depict Klingons in their most popular incarnation, it makes sense that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is reintroducing Klingons with the added twist of hybrid characters. After all, 800 years separate Starfleet Academy from Star Trek: The Next Generation's era, and it's logical that Klingons have cross-bred with other species, possibly including the Jem'Hadar.Paul Giamatti literally wanted to play a Klingon in Star Trek, which is partly how he got cast in Starfleet Academy. It would be a nice touch that Giamatti's villain is part-Klingon to fulfill Paul's wish, but still has added elements to make his character unique. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy looks to have both a traditional Klingon and hybrids, showing just how differently the warrior race has evolved in the 32nd century.