‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Showrunners Want to do a ‘Year One’ Follow-Up Series Set On Kirk’s Enterprise With ‘The Storytelling Values We Have Today’

In June, Paramount+ renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fifth and final season. Since then, co-creator Akiva Goldsman and co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers have indicated they are interested in doing a follow-up show that would serve as something of a prequel to the show’s beloved original series.

At San Diego Comic-Con, the executive producers revealed the name they have in mind and even looked to fans to help pitch the show to the new owners of Paramount.

Star Trek: Year One

Akiva Goldsman started his tenure with Trek during the second season of the much maligned Star Trek: Discovery. As a supposed lifelong fan of Star Trek, he claims that he was excited to explore the era before The Original Series. Behind the scenes, he reportedly pushed the idea of launching a spin-off show about Captain Pike’s Enterprise, which became Strange New Worlds. On stage at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, Goldsman talked about his journey and where he wants to go next.

Captain Pike on Star Trek Strange New Worlds – Paramount Plus

“We started having this idea of those great lost years that exist in all of our head canon and ancillary canon, but had never really gotten much of a chance to be on screen,” he said. “So what we’ve tried to do is try to reach back to Pike’s Enterprise and instill in it the kind of storytelling values we have today, and bring us right up to Kirk’s first day on the job. And that is our hope, and that is our plan. And we plan to get you there… and if you like us enough, you just write ‘Dear Skydance and Paramount, we know you still have the sets. Don’t you want to make Star Trek: Year One?’”

The name “Year One,” appears to indicate the new show would be set during the first year of Kirk’s famed five-year mission. In his recent TrekMovie interview, Goldsman also talked about how Strange New Worlds would wrap up with Kirk’s first day in command of the USS Enterprise. And he pointed out that the first produced (canonical) episode of The Original Series (“Where No Man Has Gone Before”) was “not Kirk’s first mission, nor does it feel like Kirk’s second mission.” It’s clear he sees plenty of room for more stories set on Kirk’s Enterprise before TOS.

William Shatner as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations (1994), Paramount Pictures

In an interview with EW after the panel, Henry Alonso Myers said: “Nothing would make us happier than to be able to continue telling the stories of how Pike’s crew transitions to Kirk’s crew and how Kirk’s crew sets off. Obviously, when we come into TOS [The Original Series] it’s not the first day of the job…. Fundamentally, there are relationships that already exist. How did they happen? And, obviously, we have the opportunity for Sulu and we have the opportunity for McCoy in a longer life, and opportunity for Chekov. So it would be awesome to be able to continue.”

As noted by the producers, they have the sets and much of the classic TOS characters already in place, including Kirk (Paul Wesley), Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Chapel (Jess Bush), and now Scotty (Martin Quinn). And even after bringing in a new Dr. McCoy, they still have Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) who appeared in TOS, but not as chief medical officer.

Kirk meets Spock on Star Trek Strange New Worlds – Paramount Plus

In his recent TrekMovie interview, Goldsman confirmed that he and co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers were preparing to formally pitch this follow-up series, saying “…if we can convince people to give us an opportunity to continue these missions, of course. Nothing would make us happier.”

Fan Reactions and the Kurtzman Factor

While the pitch for Star Trek: Year One has generated excitement among some fans eager for more stories bridging the Pike and Kirk eras, it has also reignited debates about the direction of the franchise under Alex Kurtzman, the executive producer overseeing all Star Trek television projects on Paramount+ since 2018.

Alex Kurtzman speaking at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Star Trek: Discovery”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Kurtzman, who co-created Star Trek: Discovery and has been responsible for expanding the Trek universe with shows like Picard, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds, remains a polarizing figure. Many longtime fans express deep dissatisfaction with his stewardship, citing perceived departures from Gene Roddenberry’s original vision, including changes to canon, an emphasis on serialized storytelling over episodic adventures, and the incorporation of modern social themes that many label as progressive or overly ideological.

Michael Burnham on Star Trek Discovery – YouTube, Star Trek

Criticisms often focus on early seasons of Discovery, where redesigns of iconic elements like the Klingons drew significant backlash for clashing with established lore. Online forums, YouTube videos, and social media posts frequently describe Kurtzman’s output as “bad” or “generic sci-fi,” accusing it of prioritizing spectacle and emotional drama over the optimistic, exploratory spirit of classic Trek.

James T. Kirk on Star Trek Strange New Worlds – Paramount Plus

As long as Kurtzman remains at the helm of Star Trek, detractors view Year One as another potential misstep, fearing it could further dilute the franchise’s legacy.

How do you feel about a potential Star Trek: Year One? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

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