Convention - SDCC 2025 : Star Trek Strange New Worlds boldly teases puppet adventures, emotional farewells, and a potential future for Kirk

By Mulder, San Diego, Convention Center, Hall H, 26 july 2025

There’s a unique electricity in Hall H when the Star Trek Universe takes the stage, and this year’s San Diego Comic-Con panel for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds proved that the franchise still knows how to surprise even its most seasoned fans. On July 26, 2025, amid the vast screens and roars of the convention center, franchise architect Alex Kurtzman stepped out alongside fellow executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, flanked by an excited lineup of cast members — Christina Chong, Paul Wesley, Jess Bush, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn. Noticeably absent was series lead Anson Mount, but his absence came with the best kind of reason: he had just welcomed a new baby into his family. Yet, in true Strange New Worlds fashion, his presence was still felt thanks to a wildly unexpected video reveal — a puppet version of Captain Christopher Pike, brought to life by the legendary Jim Henson Creature Shop, previewing an upcoming Season 4 episode centered around a bizarre “felt-related transporter accident.” The crowd’s reaction was equal parts disbelief and delight, a reminder that this show’s genre-bending spirit thrives on risk-taking.

Moderated by Robert Picardo, who effortlessly blended his Star Trek gravitas with lighthearted humor, the panel quickly became a celebration of the show’s current success and its bittersweet horizon. Akiva Goldsman confirmed that the series would conclude with its fifth season, ending precisely where history demands: with James T. Kirk’s first day in the captain’s chair. But he wasn’t ready to shut the door on this timeline. In a heartfelt appeal, he urged fans to rally behind the possibility of Star Trek: Year One, a potential follow-up series continuing the adventures of Kirk and the crew using the already built Enterprise sets. It was a rallying cry to Trekkies to write to Paramount and Skydance, an almost old-school call to action in an era dominated by hashtags, and it underscored the creators’ genuine affection for this cast and era of the franchise.

The panel wasn’t just about looking forward — it also gave the Hall H audience an exclusive first look at this week’s episode, “A Space Adventure Hour,” which will hit Paramount+ on July 31, 2025. Written by Dana Horgan and Kathryn Lyn and directed by Jonathan Frakes, the episode was an instant crowd-pleaser, leaning heavily into fourth-wall-breaking humor while delivering a tight murder-mystery plot. Christina Chong’s La’An tests a prototype holodeck, solving a case only she can crack, with the fate of the Enterprise hanging in the balance. Behind-the-scenes anecdotes poured out after the screening — Jess Bush recalled Babs Olusanmokun struggling to keep a straight face during a particularly absurd moment, Ethan Peck teased the intriguingly titled “Four and a Half Vulcans,” and Rebecca Romijn admitted that balancing filming this series and Avengers: Doomsday had her practically living on airplanes. Meanwhile, Paul Wesley declared it the most fun he’s ever had on a set, a telling comment given his history with high-profile roles.

Season 3 itself, launched earlier this month, is pushing boundaries with a blend of genres that feel ripped from The Original Series’ playbook yet reinvented for modern sensibilities — from romance to comedy, from tense interstellar diplomacy to now, full-blown puppet theatrics. The decision to go “all in” on a puppet episode in Season 4, directed by Jordan Canning, is a daring escalation from last season’s musical experiment “Subspace Rhapsody,” and positions Strange New Worlds as perhaps the boldest Star Trek series in terms of tonal experimentation. Drawing comparisons to Angel’s “Smile Time” and Gen V’s puppet detour, it’s a move that could have felt gimmicky in lesser hands, but here, buoyed by Jim Henson Creature Shop’s craftsmanship, it’s framed as a legitimate creative swing rather than a stunt.

While the laughter and applause dominated the room, there was an undeniable undercurrent of nostalgia and impending farewell. For many fans, Strange New Worlds has been a lifeline back to the optimism and adventure-first spirit of Gene Roddenberry’s original vision, delivered through the chemistry of Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn, and supported by a younger ensemble that has made the bridge feel alive with camaraderie. The confirmation of a shorter, six-episode final season — a compromise to ensure a proper ending — only heightened the emotional stakes. As Henry Alonso Myers hinted, there are still major surprises in store for Seasons 3, 4, and 5, and with the creative team openly embracing the idea of more experimental episodes (including a hopeful nod to an anime-style outing), the farewell tour seems poised to be anything but predictable.

In the end, the SDCC 2025 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panel was more than a string of announcements; it was a testament to the trust between creators and fans, built on shared history, mutual respect, and a willingness to explore “strange new worlds” in the truest sense. Whether or not Year One ever materializes, the spirit of this iteration of the Enterprise feels destined to resonate for years — not just in the canon of Star Trek, but in the personal memories of those who saw it push the boundaries of what televised science fiction could be. In Hall H, for one afternoon, the mission to boldly go felt as alive and hopeful as it did in 1966.

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Synopsis : 
The adventures of Captain Pike, Spock, and Number One as they explore the galaxy in search of new worlds in the years before Captain Kirk took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet
Based on Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry
Showrunners : Akiva Goldsmank, Henry Alonso Myers
Starring  Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Bruce Horak, Rebecca Romijn, Martin Quinn
Theme music composer : Jeff Russo
Composer : Nami Melumad
Executive producers : Eugene Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Jenny Lumet, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman
Producer : Andrea Raffaghello
Production companies : Secret Hideout, Weed Road Pictures, H M R X Productions, Roddenberry Entertainment, CBS Studios
Network : Paramount+
Release May 5, 2022 – present
Running time : 46–62 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville