2026 will bring a plethora of great new television shows to the small screen, one of the most exciting of which is undoubtedly the sci-fi drama “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” — a spin-off series from the hugely popular “Star Trek” franchise.
Filmed in Toronto, Canada, from August 2024 onwards, the show will air on the subscription service Paramount+, which has been the home of many a tremendous series in recent years — “Tulsa King,” “MobLand,” and “Landman” to name a few — and that bodes well for “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s” potential quality.
But it’s not just the platform it’s streaming on that makes “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” an intriguing prospect. Its premise and cast, amongst other things, are getting sci-fi fans around the world excited for its release.
Here’s everything we know about it so far…
The Premise of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’
GettySet in the 32nd century, the far-future time period that was introduced in the brilliant “Star Trek: Discovery” series (which also aired on Paramount+), “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” will follow the first new class of Starfleet cadets in over a hundred years in a coming-of-age story as they train to be officers.
In what will be the 12th “Star Trek” series, under the keen eyes of their strict but mostly nurturing instructors, the cadets will come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism — a familiar theme in the “Star Trek” franchise.
The series will depict the cadets finding out exactly what it takes to become Starfleet officers. Fans will watch them navigate new friendships, relationships, and inevitable rivalries with peers, and see them encounter a terrifying new foe that will pose a massive threat to both the Academy and the Federation itself.
When Does ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Premiere?
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” will premiere with two episodes on Paramount+ on Thursday, January 15, 2026. After that, episodes will hit the platform weekly every Thursday until the tenth and final episode on March 12.
The Cast of ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’
Getty“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” boasts an impressive cast of established stars, stalwart actors, and promising newcomers. With experienced Oscar winners and young performers with barely any screen experience, it has the potential to appeal to many demographics.
The cast are:
Holly Hunter (Nahla Ake)
GettyAcademy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter will play the leading role of Nahla Ake in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Hunter, who won her Oscar for her performance in the 1993 historical romance movie “The Piano,” has also been nominated for three other acting gongs at the prestigious awards and has appeared in the likes of 1987’s “Raising Arizona,” 1996’s “Crash,” and 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (per IMDb).
Her character is the half-Lanthanite (the same species as Carol Kane’s Pelia from “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”) captain of the USS Athena and Starfleet Academy’s highly-respected chancellor.
Tig Notaro (Jett Reno)
GettyEmmy-nominated stand-up comedian, writer, and actress Tig Notaro will play Jett Reno in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Notaro is best known for her deadpan humor and her brilliant hour-long comedy special “Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted” (per IMDb).
Notaro’s character is an engineer on the USS Discovery in the show.
Robert Picardo (The Doctor)
GettyVeteran actor Robert Picardo will reprise his role as the Doctor from “Star Trek: Voyager” in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” He is also known for appearing in television shows like “Stargate” and “The Wonder Years” and movies like “Innerspace” (per IMDb).
Picardo’s character appears in the form of a 900-year-old holographic teacher at Starfleet Academy.
Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir)
GettyNewcomer Sandro Rosta will play Caleb Mir in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Rosta’s only previous acting credit came in the 2021 short film “Snitches Get Stitches” (per IMDb).
His character is a human orphan who joined the academy in the hope of finding his mother, but who has become disillusioned with life there.
Tatiana Maslany (Anisha)
GettyMCU star Tatiana Maslany will play the recurring guest role of Anisha in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Maslany is best known for her appearances in shows like “Orphan Black,” “Perry Mason,” and, of course, the titular role in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (per IMDb).
Her character is the mother of Sandro Rosta’s Caleb Mir in the series.
Stephen Colbert (Digital Dean of Students)
GettyTalk show host, comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, and occasional actor Stephen Colbert will voice Starfleet Academy’s Digital Dean of Students in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Colbert is, of course, best known for hosting the CBS talk show “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” but has acted in voice roles before in the likes of 2009’s “Monsters vs. Aliens” and 2024’s “Despicable Me 4” (per IMDb).
Colbert’s character will be heard delivering daily announcements and important alerts to the cadets throughout the series.
Karim Diané (Jay-Den Kraag)
GettyThe Guinean actor and singer Karim Diané will play Jay-Den Kraag in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Diané’s most notable previous role came in 13 episodes of the teen drama series “One of Us Is Lying,” though he got his break as a contestant on “The X Factor” (per IMDb).
His character is a Klingon cadet and aspiring medical officer in Starfleet Academy.
Kerrice Brooks (Sam aka Series Acclimation Mil)
Up-and-coming star Kerrice Brooks will play Sam, aka Series Acclimation Mil, in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Brooks is best known for playing Ro in the 2024 coming-of-age comedy movie “My Old Ass” (per IMDb).
Her character is a holographic being known as a Kasqian and the first of her kind to attend Starfleet Academy. She is only a few weeks old, but has been programmed to act like a young adult.
George Hawkins (Darem Reymi)
GettyPreviously known for appearing in the drama series “Tell Me Everything” and the BAFTA-nominated 2021 movie “Boiling Point” (per IMDb), British actor George Hawkins will appear in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” He will play a character called Darem Reymi.
Reymi is a Khionian cadet and aspiring captain who, having come from a wealthy home, expects to be treated differently at Starfleet Academy.
Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe)
GettyActress Bella Shepard will play Genesis Lythe in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Her previous credits include playing the lead in another Paramount+ series “Wolf Pack” and appearing in Sam Raimi’s 2013 movie “Oz the Great and Powerful” (per IMDb).
Her character is a Dar-Sha cadet who, despite being the daughter of a Starfleet admiral, is determined to make a name for herself on merit in the Academy.
Zoë Steiner (Tarima Sadal)
GettyAustralian actress Zoë Steiner will play Tarima Sadal in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Her previous roles are minimal, but do include six episodes of ABC’s drama miniseries “Significant Others” (per IMDb).
Steiner’s character is the daughter of the president of planet Betazed, the home of a telepathic humanoid civilization.
Gina Yashere (Commander Lura Thok)
GettyBritish comedian, actress and writer Gina Yashere will play the recurring role of Lura Thok in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” As well as for her award-winning stand-up shows, Yashere is best known for creating and appearing in the American sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola” (per IMDb).
Yashere’s character is the part Klingon and part Jem’Hadar cadet master at Starfleet Academy and the first officer of the Athena.
Oded Fehr (Admiral Charles Vance)
GettyBest known for his roles in “The Mummy” and “Resident Evil” franchises (per IMDb), Israeli actor Oded Fehr will play Charles Vance in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”
Vance is an admiral and the commander-in-chief of Starfleet and is expected to appear in a guest capacity rather than a main role.
Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly)
GettyReprising her role as Sylvia Tilly from “Star Trek: Discovery” in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is Mary Wiseman. Wiseman has also appeared in shows like “Longmire,” “Baskets,” and “The Residence” (per IMDb).
Tilly will feature in a guest role an instructor at Starfleet Academy who previously served on the USS Discovery.
Paul Giamatti (Nus Braka)
GettyTwice Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti will play the recurring guest role of Nus Braka in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Giamatti is best known for his roles in movies as varied as 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan,” 2004’s “Sideways,” and 2007’s “Fred Claus” (per IMDb).
Giamatti’s character is part-Klingon and part-Tellarite. He is said to have an ominous past connection to one of Starfleet Academy’s young cadets.
Becky Lynch (Unnamed Bridge Crew Member)
GettyWWE superstar Becky Lynch — best known for being a five-time Women’s World Championship holder in World Wrestling Entertainment and for her nickname “The Man” — will play an as-yet-unnamed member of the Starfleet bridge crew in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”
Lynch, whose real name is Rebecca Quinn, does have some acting experience and most recently appeared in the 2025 comedy sequel “Happy Gilmore 2” (per IMDb).
Brit Marling (The Athena’s Computer)
GettyActress and screenwriter Brit Marling will provide the voice of the Athena’s computer in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”
Marling’s past screen credits include the mystery television series “The OA” and movies including 2011’s “Sound of My Voice,” 2011’s “Another Earth,” and 2013’s “The East” (per IMDb).
Trailers, Teasers & Clips
A number of trailers, teasers, and clips from the show have been released already.
Here is the first look teaser:
Here is the official trailer:
Here’s a clip dropped by Paul Giamatti during the Paramount+ presentation at CCXP in São Paolo, Brazil:
If you’re a “Star Trek” fan, you should be incredibly excited for 2026 with the release of this cool-looking show.
Moreover, it was announced at New York Comic-Con 2024 that a second season of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” was greenlit while production of season one was ongoing.
It’s a great time to be a Trekkie!
