2026 is a significant year in the Star Trek universe. It marks the 60th anniversary of the entire franchise, making it fitting that the series most specifically connected to "The Original Series" is set to return with new episodes to mark the occasion. On Tuesday, Paramount released the full two-minute trailer for Season 4 of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," and the stakes feel higher than ever.
Paramount+ released the two-minute trailer for Season 4 of its sci-fi series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which premieres July 23. The penultimate season of the series, consisting of 10 episodes, will release new episodes weekly until the finale. That finale lands on September 24.
The overall tone in the new material strikes a more serious balance in the Enterprise crew's new missions, compared to the wildly uneven tone that dogged the show's very mixed third season. That said, there are still cowboys and dinosaurs in space, and puppets are on the way. The series has always been willing to swing wide, but this time the punches feel more deliberate.
The first episode is called "Valles Marineris" and appears to be a western-themed episode set on Mars, while the second is called "Griffin Incident" and features the return of Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk. The trailer also glimpses a dinosaur planet, which could be prehistoric Earth, alongside a Western-themed world with bizarre outcroppings and flora.
As the crew journeys to strange new worlds, they will battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces, and confront terrifying aliens.
The Season 4 cast includes everyone from Season 3: Anson Mount as Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Ethan Peck as Spock, Christina Chong as La'an, Jess Bush as Chapel, Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, Melissa Navia as Ortegas, Babs Olusanmokun as M'Benga, and Martin Quinn as Montgomery Scott. Paul Wesley and Carol Kane return as special guest stars.
The trailer features a meaningful exchange between future dynamic duo Spock and Captain Kirk, with Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley sharing the frame in a moment that quietly nods at what the franchise's endgame is building toward.
The trailer reveal itself generated real momentum. At CCXP Mexico back in April, Rebecca Romijn told the attending crowd, "We're so proud of this show, and we're really proud of season four — and season five," adding, "We really think it's our best season yet."
Because Season 5 will be an abbreviated season leading into the canon of "The Original Series," Season 4 is effectively the last regular season of "Strange New Worlds" — a set of episodes in which the show can continue to experiment and deliver standalone adventures. One confirmed "big swing" is a puppet episode, made in cooperation with Jim Henson Productions, announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.
It was also recently revealed that "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" would be ending with its upcoming second season, marking the end of an era, as there are no other official Star Trek shows in active development. That context makes Season 4 land with extra weight.
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4 premieres July 23 exclusively on Paramount+, with the season finale set for September 24.
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