Star Trek Eyes Prequel for Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk

The creative team behind Star Trek: Strange New Worlds announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they intend to conclude the series with its fifth season — though this doesn't signal an end to their storytelling ambitions in the Star Trek universe. In fact, they are "100 percent" committed to a dream project: a spinoff series focused on Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk during his first year as captain.

“Nothing would bring us greater joy than continuing to explore the transition from Pike’s crew to Kirk’s, and witnessing how Kirk’s crew embarks on its journey,” Strange New Worlds showrunner Henry Alonso Myers shared with Entertainment Weekly at SDCC.

“By the time we reach the era of The Original Series, these characters aren't just starting out — they already share established bonds. We want to uncover how those connections formed. There’s rich potential for exploring Sulu, McCoy, Chekov, and others in greater depth. It would be an incredible opportunity to keep telling these stories.”

Myers also noted that he and co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman have envisioned futures for characters not prominently featured in established Star Trek canon after Strange New Worlds — emphasizing, “That doesn’t mean they no longer exist.”

That said, Myers and Goldsman are urging fans to voice their support if they want to see a prequel series become a reality. “We’re dreaming out loud,” Myers remarked about pitching the network for another show. “We often point out, ‘Hey, these amazing sets already exist — you own them and profit from them.’”

Of course, their immediate focus is delivering a strong finish to the current series. “Before any post–Strange New Worlds projects can take shape, we need to nail the ending,” Myers added. With an early screening of season 3’s third episode at SDCC and season 4 recently wrapped, season 5 is already in sight — meaning a prequel could happen sooner than expected, especially if fans show their enthusiasm.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available to stream on Paramount+.