Earlier this year, we learned that one of Star Trek‘s greatest villains would be returning in a new scripted podcast series. Now we know that two classic Trek actors will be joining the cast of the series, revisiting their original characters. George Takei and Tim Russ, who starred as Hikaru Sulu and Tuvok on Star Trek: The Original Series and Voyager, respectively, will star on Star Trek: Khan alongside Naveen Andrews and Wrenn Schmidt. The first episode of Khan will premiere on Star Trek Day: stardate September 8, 2025.
The podcast series will take place in the decades between the Original Series episode “Space Seed,” in which the crew of the USS Enterprise inadvertently revives Khan (then played by the great Ricardo Montalban) and subsequently exiles him to the remote planet Ceti Alpha V, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, when Khan is inadvertently rediscovered and escapes his prison to wreak havoc on the galaxy. Andrews (Lost) stars as Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered tyrant from Earth’s past who was placed into suspended animation and shot into space before being rediscovered by Captain James T. Kirk and company. Schmidt (For All Mankind) plays Lt. Marla McGivers, a historian in Kirk’s crew who falls in love with Khan and chooses to go into exile with him and his compatriots. They both have to deal with the fallout when a disaster turns Ceti Alpha V into a wasteland. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Khan’s escape, Starfleet tries to put together the pieces of Khan’s life: they’re represented by Captain Sulu, Ensign Tuvok, and Dr. Rosalind Lear (Sonya Cassidy, Reacher).
Who Are Hikaru Sulu and Tuvok?
Originally the Enterprise helmsman on Star Trek: The Original Series, Hikaru Sulu served Captain Kirk faithfully for years. Eventually, he was given command of his own ship, the USS Excelsior, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Takei has returned to the role several times, most recently for Star Trek: Lower Decks. A stern, stoic Vulcan, Tuvok was a longtime friend of Kathryn Janeway, and served as her Chief of Security and Tactical Officer when her command, the USS Voyager, was stranded in the distant Delta Quadrant. After an arduous seven-year journey back to Federation territory, Tuvok later became a Starfleet captain, as seen in Star Trek: Picard. Tuvok was revealed to have served aboard the Excelsior under Sulu’s command as a young man in the Voyager episode “Flashback,” which features flashback scenes set during The Undiscovered Country.
Star Trek: Khan also stars Olli Haaskivi (Oppenheimer) as Delmonda, Maury Sterling (Homeland) as Ivan, Mercy Malick (Mr. Mayor) as Ursula, and Zuri Washington (Futurama) as Madot. It is based on a story by Wrath of Khan writer/director Nicholas Meyer, and is written by Star Trek veterans Kirsten Beyer and David Mack.
The first episode of Star Trek: Khan will be released on September 8, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
