Strange New Worlds Season 3 Gets Exciting Updates at NYCC

Key points

• An exclusive clip at NYCC shows a battle with Gorn ships, teasing an action-packed start to season three.
• Rhys Darby joins the cast in a mystery role, sparking fan speculation about classic Star Trek characters.
• The showrunners hint at the third season with strange words like “dance, murder and surprise”, creating anticipation for the upcoming episodes.

Last weekend, Star Trek actors and showrunners reunited at New York Comic-Con (NYCC), held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. As usual, the panels were jam-packed with updates on upcoming seasons of Paramount+ shows Star Trek universe, and fans have finally gotten some interesting information about the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Information on the next season of the Paramount+ prequel Star Trek: The Original Series has been scarce since big reveals at San Diego Comic-Con in July. Fans had little to do other than a few behind-the-scenes photos of the cast and the occasional update from the showrunners. Behind-the-scenes clips and photos confirmed that the entire bridge crew of the Enterprise will return in season three, but other than that, fans were left wondering. Luckily, they got some interesting answers – and even more to speculate about – at the NYCC, including three big reveals.

An exclusive clip depicts an epic battle

During Paramount+ Star Trek During the Universe panel at the convention, fans got a second look at an actual scene from Season 3. The three-minute clip picks up roughly where Season 2 left off, with the Enterprise and its crew busy in a brutal battle, surrounded by Gorn ships. Anson Mount's Captain Pike seems uncharacteristically overwhelmed as Una repeatedly asks for orders.

After asking his crew to come up with options to save their compatriots, who have been kidnapped by the Gorn, the bridge crew rattles off multiple brilliant ideas, in iconic Star Trek fashion. After ruling out several, they finally land by attaching a beacon to an unarmed torpedo and shooting at the Gorn ship.

The clip confirmed what fans had speculated: that season three will pick up where Trek's classic season two cliffhanger left off. It is also confirmed that, at least the beginning of the third season, will be characterized by the growing conflict with the Gorn. If this scene is representative of the season, it promises to be an action-packed ride.

New cast member revealed

Perhaps the most exciting news of the weekend was the announcement that Our flag means death AND Jumanji: The Next Level Actor Rhys Darby will join the cast in a mystery guest role. The showrunners have hinted that Darby will play a Legacy Star Trek character, but wouldn't say anything else, sparking speculation throughout the fandom.

Strange new worlds has already shown fans what different TOS the characters were doing in the years before Kirk took control of the Enterprise. However, there are many major and minor characters that fans have not yet met, most notably Leonard “Bones” McCoy, the Enterprise's chief medical officer.

Strange hints about season 3 stories

During a panel with Strange new worlds showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and cast members Ethan Peck (Spock) and Carol Kane (Pelia), the moderator asked each of them to describe the show's third season in just three words. Their choices were interesting to say the least.

Goldsman replied, “Go to season 4.”

Kane said, “Too funny.”

Peck responded, “History, betrayal, growth.”

But Alonso Myers' answer was by far the best: “Dance, murder and surprise.”

Since Jonathan Frakes, who often directs Star Trek episodes as well as the stars in them, has already teased a murder mystery episode, the comment about the Alonso Myers murder makes sense. But dancing? And betrayal? While the three-word response didn't reveal much, it creates even more excitement for season three.

Fans can look forward to the first episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 in 2025, although an official release date has not yet been announced.

Source: StarTrek.com​​​​​​​