This past weekend Trekkies and Star Trek fans young, new and seasoned, united and were able to boldly go into the worldwide stage known as Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). Fans attending the event were able to preview all the forthcoming and exciting news coming out from the world of the Star Trek Universe along with the cast and crew members from the various TV shows along with some surprise announcements.
Star Trek Boldly Goes Into Hall H at SDCC
The Panel was hosted and moderated by the legendary Lea Thompson of Back to the Future fame who also directed a few episodes of Star Trek: Picard. Staying throughout the entire panel was Rod Roddenberry (son of famed Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry) and Alex Kurtzman (Executive Producer of Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds). Without further adieu, here are some of the highlights of what took place during the Star Trek Panel:
“Star Trek: Picard” Brings its Next Generation to Today’s Generation at SDCC
Announced back in April 5, 2022 on what Star Trek fans have exclusively claimed as “First Contact Day,” a fan holiday originating from the Star Trek: First Contact film, streaming service Paramount Plus announced that in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard cast members Star Trek The Next Generation Trek will reunite with Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to help close the story of the famous Captain, excuse me, now Admiral. Cast members from that era joining this final season of Star Trek: Picard will be: LeVar Burton (as Geordi LaForge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Jonathan Frakes (William Riker), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), and Brent Spiner (Data). Returning cast members will also include Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker) and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine). Even though these are the familiar names that will be returning, it’s as yet undisclosed as to what positions and title they will hold until the premiere of the third season. However, this is the second return to this new series for both Frakes and Sirtis as they made their appearance in the seventh episode of season 1. Character posters have also been released with this announcement, but the cast listing of Brent Spiner definitely raises some eyebrows as the arc of his popular character, Data, was seemingly closed out in Season 1 and then made a comeback in Season 2 to play Dr. Adam Soong. Without a character poster, Spiner’s role in season 3 is being kept a secret for now.
Official Teaser Trailer of “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3
The announcement of returning Next Generation era cast members was coupled with new looks and images of the cast with character posters and an official trailer detailing the new looks, costumes, and teases of new roles for the cast that can be watched and seen below.
Lower Decks! Lower Decks! Lower Decks!
The comedic, tongue-in-cheek, off-the-wall, and full of Star Trek easter eggs and Trek nostalgia animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks returns to Paramount+ for its third season. Cast members attending the panel were Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noel Wells (Ensign Tendi), and Dawnn Lewis (Captain Carol Freeman), and Eugene Cordero, or at least, a cardboard cutout of his character Ensign Rutherford. Although the animated series is a comical, yet adventurous take into the lives of the often unheard, lower-ranked Starfleet crew members, the panel had its emotional moment when host, Lea Thompson asked Dawnn Lewis what it has been like for her to get the call to become the Captain of a Starfleet ship. Lewis then replied that after being cast, she described Star Trek legend Nichelle Nichols, famous for her role as Lt. Uhura from Star Trek: The Original Series and the films as being her inspiration and that she cried meeting Nichols for the first time. Lewis paid tribute and thanked Nichelle for making it possible for her to be a part of that world to be a “Captain and as a woman of color.” You can watch the emotional moment below from the official Star Trek Paramount+ Instagram reel:
The panel also released the new trailer for Season 3, which can be watched below. The end of the trailer revealed a surprise involving Deep Space Nine, the same name of a previous Trek series, and Executive Producer/Showrunner Mike McMahan revealed and teased to the audience that the crew of Lower Decks will also go “into Deep Space Nine, where we will walk the Promenade, we will enjoy the Cardassian architecture…and you might see some friendly faces in there.”
Tawny Newsome ended the panel by encouraging the entire panel and along with the attendees of Hall H to give the famous Lower Decks cheer. The premiere for Season 3 of Lower Decks will be 10 episodes with each episode released weekly and will stream on the Paramount + app on August 25, 2022.
The latest entry into the Star Trek Universe and the last panel to present was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a show that became a spin-off from the series Star Trek: Discovery after the positive reception of Anson Mount’s character as Captain Christopher Pike which spawned a massive fan outcry for him to continue to play a role in the Star Trek Universe. As a result, Strange New Worlds was the outcome of that push by fans. Ethan Peck as Spock and Rebecca Romijn as Number One/Una Chin-Riley reprised their roles in the new series after their appearances in Star Trek: Short Treks.
Executive Producer Henry Alonso Myers joined the panel, but before the panel officially began, with the cast of Strange New Worlds already seated, Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid came back after appearing from their panel to crash the SNW panel and firmly asked to be included into the SNW panel. What appeared to be a moment of confusion was actually a planned event to announce one of the biggest pieces of news from the panel. It was then that Anson Mount surprised fans that Season 2, already completed in its production, will feature an episode that will have Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner and Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler appears in a crossover episode with Strange New Worlds! It was further announced that this episode will feature both animated and live-action elements, and Jonathan Frakes (yes, William Riker) from the TNG and Picard series will direct that episode! That moment can be watched in this clip of the panel below:
After that epic moment, the cast and crew then discussed the story element of the Gorn character, popularized in the ST: TOS (Star Trek: The Original Series) and made as one of the season’s main and big villains.
During that panel, led by Christina Chong, the cast and executive producers of SNW then announced to everyone in Hall H that it was Paul Wesley’s (Captain James T. Kirk) birthday. The audience along with the entire panel sang Happy Birthday to Wesley, and the occasion was followed up by a cake featuring a resemblance to his character sitting on the Captain’s chair in cake form. It was a very wholesome moment that gave off a very down-to-earth family vibe while Wesley jokingly told Chong, “I Hate You.” That moment can be watched in the clip below:
As for what’s in store for season 2, not much has been revealed in the panel except for the big announcement with the crossover, and fans will just have to wait until the next season with no current release date.
So What Next?
Surprising, yet not, considering the time allotted for the panels for Hall H, there was no announcement or updated news for the Paramount / Nickelodeon production of Star Trek: Prodigy except for the latest in that Season 1 of Prodigy was able to watch on Nickelodeon. In addition, there have been no press or formal talks yet of Starfleet Academy which was news that broke out earlier this year, and the possibility of a Section 31 spinoff from Star Trek: Discovery featuring Michelle Yeoh. Although the excitement and anticipation still builds for more Trek, the current franchises and the upcoming premiere of Lower Decks will hold the fans down as we hopefully wait for further news and developments. It’s also important to note that the Star Trek-specific fan convention, Star Trek Las Vegas: The 56 Year Mission will be held on August 25-28 so any new news could be presented at that convention.
All of the Star Trek Universe television programming is available to watch and stream on the Paramount+ app.
STAR TREK: PICARD features Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and follows this iconic character into the next chapter of his life. LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, and Michelle Hurd star alongside Patrick Stewart in the third and final season of the hit Paramount+ original series.
The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. For season three, Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Doug Aarniokoski, and Dylan Massin serve as executive producers. Terry Matalas serves as showrunner for season three.
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Alex Kurtzman, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, Katie Krentz (219 Productions), and Heather Kadin serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, also serves as an executive producer. Titmouse (“Big Mouth”), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series features fan favorites from season two of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS also stars Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet serve as executive producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Aaron Baiers.
Star Trek at the #IMDboat at SDCC Day Three
Jack Quaid, Tawny Newsome, Dawnn Lewis, Patrick Stewart, Noël Wells, and Mike McMahan visit the #IMDboat At San Diego Comic-Con 2022: Day Three on The IMDb Yacht on July 23, 2022, in San Diego, California.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 23: (L-R) Jack Quaid, Tawny Newsome, Dawnn Lewis, Patrick Stewart, Noël Wells, and Mike McMahan visit the #IMDboat At San Diego Comic-Con 2022: Day Three on The IMDb Yacht on July 23, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for IMDb)
Against my better judgement, I find myself very excited for that SNW/LD crossover.