New Dr. McCoy & Sulu in ‘Strange New Worlds’ Makes ‘Star Trek: Year One’ More Likely

by

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has revealed plans for the future of the franchise, even after the show’s current season concludes with a storyline that echoes past adventures. Since its 2022 premiere, Strange New Worlds has become the leading Star Trek series, successfully blending a modern feel with the spirit of the original shows – something many newer spin-offs haven’t quite achieved.

Although the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds won’t finish airing until 2025, filming for the fifth and final season is already complete. It’s expected to premiere in 2027, with season four scheduled for 2026. A recent announcement about the show’s ending gives fans a preview of what’s to come, and while it doesn’t confirm Paramount’s long-term plans, it does lend credibility to some popular fan theories.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Replaces All Necessary ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ Characters For a Direct Sequel

The Franchise Finally Has a New Bones & Sulu


Paramount+

While technically a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, Strange New Worlds feels more like a direct prequel to the original Star Trek series, which premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons. Though some original cast members have occasionally reappeared in other Star Trek shows, Strange New Worlds features a completely new cast playing younger versions of the classic characters.

As a big fan, I’ve noticed something interesting about how Strange New Worlds has brought in new characters. They didn’t just replace everyone at the start! While some roles, like Spock, were recast right away, the show also introduced completely new crew members we hadn’t seen before. But as the series has gone on, they’ve been subtly swapping those newer faces for characters we already know and love from The Original Series. A good example is the chief engineer: Lt. Hemmer sadly didn’t make it, and now we have Scotty taking over – it’s great to see him step into that role!

As a big fan of Strange New Worlds, I was starting to wonder about a couple of key characters! By the end of Season 3, we still hadn’t seen Dr. McCoy or Hikaru Sulu, played so memorably by DeForest Kelly and George Takei. But great news – they’ve announced both characters will be in the Season 5 finale in 2027! Thomas Jane, who I loved in The Expanse, is taking on the role of Bones, and a newcomer, Kai Murakami, will be playing Sulu. Considering Chekov wasn’t even introduced until the second season of the original series, Strange New Worlds now has all the pieces in place to really bridge the gap and lead directly into the events of that first classic episode – if the writers decide to go that route, which I’m hoping they do!

Why ‘Strange New Worlds’ Recasting of Bones & Sulu Suggests ‘Star Trek: Year One’ Could Be Happening


Paramount

There’s talk of a potential follow-up to Strange New Worlds called Star Trek: Year One, which the show’s creators have said they’d like to make after Strange New Worlds concludes in 2027. Producer Henry Alonso Myers told Entertainment Weekly that the writing team really wants to explore how Captain Pike’s crew evolves into the crew led by Captain Kirk. While Year One hasn’t been officially greenlit, the recent introduction of new characters, Jane and Murakami, feels like a deliberate move to pave the way for the show’s production.

If Strange New Worlds was originally planned to conclude after season five, giving Bones and McCoy bigger roles than just a final-episode appearance would make more sense. Their late introduction suggests the writers have future plans for them, especially given Thomas Jane’s experience on The Expanse. While the recast is a satisfying callback to the original series, it seems likely they’re aiming to continue the story with a Star Trek: Year One style continuation, which would allow both Jane and Celia Murakami to play larger parts.

What ‘Star Trek: Year One’ Would Be About


Paramount

The title Year One describes the first year of Captain Kirk’s (Paul Wesley) time commanding the USS Enterprise, following Captain Pike’s (Anson Mount) departure or reduced role. Rather than feeling like a continuation of Strange New Worlds, it would function as a more direct lead-in to The Original Series. The Original Series starts with Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew already familiar with each other, and Year One would delve into the development of their professional and personal bonds in greater detail.

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Cast & Their Strange New Worlds Counterparts
Character TOS Actor SNW Actor
James T. Kirk William Shatner Paul Wesley
Spock Leonard Nimoy Ethan Peck
Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy DeForest Kelly Thomas Jane
Montogomery “Scotty” Scott James Doohan Martin Quinn
Hikaru Sulu George Takei Kai Murakami
Nyota Uhura Nichelle Nichols Celia Rose Gooding
Nurse Chapel Majel Barrett Jess Bush
Christopher Pike Sean Kenney Anson Mount

A show like “Year One” would be a big gamble and likely wouldn’t stay fresh for very long. After a year, it would essentially become a reboot of The Original Series, which is unusual for Star Trek. Therefore, any continuation of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with the same actors would need exceptionally strong writing, a compelling story, and a clear understanding of when to end the show.

Read More

2025-12-28 21:35