‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Adds Stephen Colbert & Sets Premiere Date

Star Trek fans may have said goodbye to two of the Paramount+ series in the franchise in the last two years (Picard in 2023, Discovery in 2024), but there are new additions still to come. One of them is Starfleet Academy, and now, thanks to the panel at 2025 New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 11, we know when it will premiere: January 15. We also now the full roll-out schedule for their first season.

During the panel, Paramount+ also released a new trailer, which you can watch above, introducing the cadets, teasing interactions between Holly Hunter’s captain and chancellor and Paul Giamatti’s villain, and more.

Plus, Stephen Colbert shared in a video, which you can watch below, that he will be the voice of Starfleet Academy’s Digital Dean of Students, giving daily announcements to the students and alerting them of anything that needs their immediate attention.

This new series was first said to be in development in February 2022. Just over a year later, it was announced that Paramount+ had picked it up to series (in March 2023).

“Admission is now open to Starfleet Academy! Explore the galaxy! Captain your destiny! For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years (or species equivalent) who dream of exceeding their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who value friendship, camaraderie, honor and devotion to a cause greater than themselves. The coursework will be rigorous, the instructors among the brightest lights in their respective fields, and those accepted will live and study side-by-side with the most diverse population of students ever admitted. Today we encourage all who share our dreams, goals and values to join a new generation of visionary cadets as they take their first steps toward creating a bright future for us all. Apply today! Ex Astris, Scientia!” co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau said in a statement at the time.

“We are excited to introduce Star Trek fans to a whole new generation of Starfleet officers in training as they navigate the rigors of the Academy and the brink of adulthood in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” added Domenic DiMeglio, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Data, Paramount Streaming. “Introducing new characters and compelling storylines, this all-new original series will serve as a fantastic addition to the franchise and Paramount+, bringing new generations of viewers and long-term Star Trek fans alike together to enjoy the next chapter in the iconic Star Trek universe.”

The series has yet to premiere, but it has already been renewed! Below, we’re taking a look at everything we know about the latest Trek series. Keep checking back for updates!

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When will Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premiere?

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 will premiere on Thursday, January 15, 2026, with the first two episodes. The rest of the 10-episode season will be released weekly on Thursdays, with the finale dropping on March 12.

What is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?

The series will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. This young group of cadets will come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves, and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Who’s in the Starfleet Academy cast?

Holly Hunter stars as Nahla Ake, the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Captain of the U.S.S. Athena, who also happens to be a long-lived half-Lanthanite.

“It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius,” said Kurtzman and Landau in a statement.  “To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on Starfleet Academy is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of Star Trek.”

Paul Giamatti has been cast in the recurring role of part Klingon, part Tellarite Nus Braka, the season’s villain with an ominous past connected to one of the cadets.

Said Kurtzman and Landau, “Sometimes you’re lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge Star Trek fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us. The sheer delight with which he dove in on Starfleet Academy is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast.”

Discovery‘s Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Tig Notaro (Jett Reno), and Oded Fehr (Admiral Vance) and Voyager‘s Robert Picardo (The Doctor) are reprising their roles. Notaro and Picardo join as series regulars, and Fehr and Wiseman join as guest stars.

And playing cadets are Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, Karim Diané, Zoë Steiner, and Sandro Rosta.

Brooke Palmer/Paramount+

Rosta is Caleb Mir, an orphan with a troubled past – and unlikely Starfleet cadet. Diané is Jay-Den Kraag, a Klingon cadet who dreams of becoming a medical officer. Brooks is Series Acclimation Mil, a.k.a. Sam, the first of her kind to ever attend Starfleet Academy. Hawkins is Darem Reymi, an aspiring captain from a wealthy home world. Shepard is Genesis Lythe, an admiral’s daughter determined to make her own name in Starfleet. Steiner is Tarima Sadal, a Betazoid and daughter of the president of Betazed.

Gina Yashere recurs as Commander Lura Thok, a Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid who is the chancellor’s First Officer and Cadet Master.

And at New York Comic Con 2024, it was announced that Tatiana Maslany will be a recurring special guest star in Season 1. No character details have been revealed.

Is there a Starfleet Academy trailer?

Yes, and more than one! In addition to the one at the top, there’s also the trailer that was released at 2025 San Diego Comic-Con. It offers a look at the series’ iconic campus in San Francisco plus the new starship and integral part of the Starfleet Academy campus, the U.S.S. Athena.

“You are all the first Academy class to return to our campus in San Francisco after more than 120 years,” Captain Ake tells the cadets. “Some of you are here for your families, some for yourselves. Together, you are the best and the brightest from across the galaxy, a tapestry that is Starfleet. You will learn the skills that shaped our greatest officers. Like them, we’ll ask you to give more of yourselves than you know you have. To dream without limitations, whatever challenges came before today led you to this moment. You, here now, you weave together the future, so go out and seek, explore, boldly go where no one has gone before. It is my great honor to welcome you all to Starfleet Academy.”

Be sure to watch the video — below — to the end for a look at Giamatti’s villain, plus check throughout to see the names of legendary characters (the James T. Kirk Pavilion is just one instance!).

Will there be a Starfleet Academy Season 2?

Yes! At New York Comic Con 2024, the series was given an early renewal for Season 2. The news came as the show was still in production on Season 1 in Toronto.

Who’s behind the new series?

Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber. The series’ premiere episode is written by Gaia Violo and directed by Alex Kurtzman. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.

Plus, Jonathan Frakes, Trek legend and director extraordinaire, told TV Insider he’s “[looking] forward to Starfleet Academy” when discussing his work behind the camera still to come in May 2024.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Series Premiere, January 15, 2026, Paramount+

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