We still have some time before the upcoming Star Trek series Starfleet Academy will be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, and waiting for the series has become even more stressful now that the full trailer is here to show off the new cast, as well as some returning favorites back in action within the 32nd century. The new series is arriving at a big time for Paramount Global, with the impending merger with Skydance already hinting at big changes to come.
The merger’s headline-sparking peak arguably came with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s cancellation, though Skydance’s reps have since disputed speculation that the show was killed as a way to make amends with Donald Trump following the President’s lawsuit against Paramount. Skydance’s merger confirmation also addressed ending the studio’s currently active diversity initiative programs, which might have some Star Trek fans wondering what that means for a series that celebrates diversity.
I asked Star Trek: Voyager and Prodigy vet Robert Picardo if he expected any drastic changes to affect Starfleet Academy and/or the franchise as a whole. He told me:
We’ve been around a long time, with the franchise being 59 years old. Diversity is baked in. In interviews, Gene Roddenberry would say that it is the most important thing in his optimistic future for us. That goal doesn’t change because it’s part of what Star Trek is. Of course that torch is being carried forward.
Picardo’s words are similar to what Alex Kurtzman told us about the future back when talks of the Skydance/Paramount merger were still in earlier stages, saying that Star Trek is going to continue to do its own thing regardless of who’s running the show.As Robert Picardo so eloquently put it, the franchise’s DNA has a “baked in” diversity, and any changes at the highest level don’t seem too concerning for those working on the show.
Robert Picardo also addressed the values the talented Starfleet Academy cast and crew will look to instill when the new series arrives. It’s meant to mirror the issues that current young adults are facing today, with the actor pointing out how they tape into Trek‘s core values, saying:
It’s all about cooperation, working together. People from disparate backgrounds, disparate alien species, whatever, working in harmony toward a common goal, and that’s not going to change.
For now, it seems like Star Trek‘s creatives plan to stay the course and keep shows like Starfleet Academy going well into the future. One can only hope that optimism is shared by everyone at both merging companies., with Robert Picardo, Alex Kurtzman and more invested in protecting this longstanding sci-fi legacy.
All that being said, it is worth mentioning that Alex Kurtzman’s overall deal with CBS Studios is set to expire at the end of 2026, with Variety reporting his current deal having been renewed back in 2021. There hasn’t been further news about whether that deal will be renewed again, which could throw a stick in the spokes.
It will be interesting to see how the next year unfolds, and whether Kurtzman will remain in charge of Star Trek‘s TV-verse beyond 2026, or if another creative team will be given the reins. If the latter happens, one would hope the producers will bring in someone who is still interested in maintaining the core values that Gene Roddenberry established decades ago and continues to do so as the world changes and evolves.
Starfleet Academy premieres on Paramount+ in early 2026. while new episodes of Strange New Worlds debut on Thursdays.
