Long-awaited Star Trek series finally confirms release date – and there’s not long to wait

Wow, this show has really gone through a transformation! It started with Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz – you might know them from *Gossip Girl* – at the helm, but they moved on. That left Gaia Violo, the writer from *Absentia*, to essentially rebuild the entire thing from scratch. It’s pretty remarkable what she’s done, taking the series in a completely new direction.

All the hard work has paid off! Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will premiere with two episodes on Paramount Plus on Thursday, January 15th, 2026—that’s just three months away.

The new trailer debuted at New York Comic-Con, showing a story that blends classic Star Trek elements with the common themes of growing up and finding yourself.

As expected, some fans of older Star Trek series like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine have criticized this new direction.

This show feels like a continuation of Star Trek: Discovery, with similar dramatic storylines and some returning characters. Familiar faces include Jett Reno (Tig Notaro), Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr), and Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman).

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy welcomes back Robert Picardo, who previously starred in Voyager and Prodigy. The series also features new cast members including well-known actors Holly Hunter (from The Incredibles), Paul Giamatti (known for Downton Abbey), and Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law).

At New York Comic Con, it was revealed that Stephen Colbert, known for hosting a late-night show, will voice the role of the Dean at Starfleet Academy in the series.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy centers around a new group of students as they undergo rigorous training with Starfleet’s top instructors.

Together, these cadets will navigate the challenges and triumphs of Starfleet Academy, building strong friendships, facing intense competition, discovering romance, and ultimately preparing to become the next generation of Starfleet officers.

A dangerous new foe emerges, putting both the Academy and the entire Federation in jeopardy. These young cadets must step up and fight, or everything they’ve started to build could be lost.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount Plus in January 2026.