A familiar face returns to Starfleet in 1st trailer for ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ (video)

Paramount+’s “Star Trek Universe” presentation at San Diego Comic Con was the absolute center of the geek galaxy at Hall H on Saturday, as not only did we see the Muppet version of Captain Pike in a surprise “Strange New Worlds” season 4 teaser, but avid attendees were also treated with the reveal of the first shining trailer for “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”

Set in the 32nd century at Starfleet’s reopened San Francisco university campus by the Bay, “Starfleet Academy” arrives in early 2026 and follows the triumphs and tribulations of a fresh class of young cadets trying to earn the honor of being one of the Federation’s best and brightest.

“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” reveals Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake, the first chancellor of the academy after 120 years of neglect in the post-Burn world of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

Hoping to resurrect Starfleet’s core ideals and vision as an inspiration to the galaxy, she has collected a diverse class of ambitious candidates. They’ll report to her ship, the U.S.S. Athena, a Starfleet “teaching hospital” vessel that can often be used by the school.

In addition to Hunter, the ensemble cast also includes Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, and Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe. This debut season showcases guest stars Gina Yashere as Commander Lura Thok and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti playing a Klingon/Tellarite hybrid named Nus Braka, whose past is linked to one of the academy’s promising cadets.

And let’s give a cheer for Robert Picardo’s return as The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager.

This initial trailer does its job of projecting an air of optimism into a dark time for the “Star Trek” realm of the 32nd century and gives us a sense of the types of conflicts and challenges facing Nahla Ake and her budding idealistic students as they embark on their own journeys of discovery.

Executive produced by co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, “Starfleet Academy” has wrapped shooting and is prepping for Season 2. Other series executive producers are Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber. Watch for this new 10-episode “Star Trek” show in 2026!