Boldly going where they fit right in, the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beamed down to San Diego for Comic-Con International last week for a marathon session of press appearances, a show panel, and tons of fan love.
Riding high on the reaction to their killer murder-mystery episode, the crew stopped by the TV Insider Studio and was game for a round of hard-hitting questions. The topics ranged from those about playing outside of the box to who ‘ships who, and how they’re bringing the wonderfully creative prequel series — which will be ending with Season 5 — in for a landing that properly sets the stage for the original Trek.
“That is our Job 1 of the last season, to get us right up to Kirk’s first day in the chair,” says executive producer Akiva Goldsman, who joined co-EP Henry Alonso Meyers and cast members Paul Wesley, Christina Chong, Rebecca Romijn, Melissa Navia, Jess Bush, and Ethan Peck at the studio. “So there will likely be some questions answered. I mean, there sort of have to be, you’ve got to know where some folks end up and how some folks shift.”
The one we know will end up on the Enterprise is Wesley’s James T. Kirk, so we were wondering if the future captain of sci-fi’s most iconic Constitution-class starship has been taking notes from the current boss, Christopher Pike (Anson Mount).
“I don’t think he’s cognizant of the fact that he’s going to take over the Enterprise,” offers Wesley. “I don’t know how that happens…he’s already in command, so I don’t think he’s cognizant of it. I know that he has the aspirations, but he’s on the Farragut. And for him, I think he’s in awe of Pike.
“I mean, the whole point of sort of seeing the genesis of Kirk, is seeing him maybe not being fully prepared yet to assume that role. But as the show progresses and reaches the end of SNW, we then see he actually is fully formed and can be in command,” he concludes.
As for the Pike staffers who don’t make it to TOS? Goldsman’s co-EP Henry Alonso Meyers assures us that we will see where they all end up. “Everyone has a story, and we all deserve to know how they turned out.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Thursdays, Paramount+