Even for those with only a passing interest in behind-the-scenes Hollywood updates, it’s clear that Paramount is undergoing significant changes right now. And the parent company, which holds the rights to the Star Trek franchise, is almost certainly moving toward some form of shift. Whether this shift is radical remains to be seen, but one fact stands: For the first time since , there are no new Star Trek TV series in immediate production following the conclusion of Season 2. At least none that have been publicly announced.
As noted by , the completion of filming on Starfleet Academy Season 2 marks an unusual point in modern Star Trek production history. Discovery was announced in 2016, with production beginning that same year, a decade ago. Discovery eventually debuted on CBS All-Access (now Paramount+) in 2017, and since then, there has often been—if not one—multiple Star Trek series in production. Just three years ago, in 2023, fans were celebrating the success of , the highlights of and Season 4 of Lower Decks. By 2024 and 2025, the franchise began to contract, with the finales of and both airing that year, along with the , which also appeared to signal the end of that series.
This brings us roughly to the current time: Strange New Worlds Season 3—delayed by the writers’ strike—premiered in 2025, alongside the standalone streaming film Section 31, led by . For a short period, SNW stood as the sole new Trek TV series on air, a status that shifted with the release of Starfleet Academy Season 1 earlier this year. Since production on that show’s Season 2 has just wrapped, viewers can expect at least 10 additional episodes following the Season 1 finale, set to air on March 12, 2026. Strange New Worlds Season 4 is slated to air later this year, with a strong likelihood of a fall release to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Star Trek on September 8. Following that, in 2027, a shortened final Season 5 consisting of six episodes will bring Strange New Worlds to a close; as of now, filming for this season has also been completed.
This lull, or period of uncertainty, hasn’t gone unnoticed by longtime Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes. In a recent interview with Inverse, Frakes confirmed he did not direct any episodes of Starfleet Academy Season 2 or Strange New Worlds Season 5. When asked if there’s any Star Trek episode he directed that’s still in the pipeline (after the release of “300th Night”), Frakes responded plainly: “Not that I know of.” This indicates that, as of now, Starfleet Academy Episode 9 is the latest Star Trek story directed by Frakes.
Could this be his final Trek project? More crucially: Will 2028 mark the first year since 2017 without a new Star Trek series? With a Star Trek feature film currently in early development—led by Dungeons & Dragons directors —it’s plausible that this in-the-works project could come to fruition before another season of Starfleet Academy or an entirely new Trek series. However, these developments might not be definitive; a third season of Starfleet Academy could easily follow the second, alongside a potential new lineup of Star Trek shows post-2027. In that vein, current Star Trek head told Inverse that he believes Starfleet Academy has a “limitless engine” for storytelling, suggesting the series could continue for many years.
The Star Trek franchise has undergone major transformations in the past. After 18 consecutive years of TV series from 1987 to 2005, the Trek franchise appeared to conclude, only to resurface four years later as a blockbuster film franchise helmed by J.J. Abrams. Critics once claimed the streaming Trek era initiated by Discovery wouldn’t endure, yet it has persisted—at minimum for the past decade, and possibly even longer.
What will the next generation of Star Trek look like post-2027? Only a time traveler or a member of the Q Continuum would have that answer.