These 7 Rumored ‘Star Trek’ Shows Could Save the Franchise After ‘Starfleet Academy’s Cancelation

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With the recent announcement that Starfleet Academy will conclude after its second season, Star Trek will find itself without any currently-producing shows or future seasons once the existing episodes of Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy finish airing in 2027. Fortunately, there are a few potential new projects in development that could keep the franchise going, and they all appear to be exciting possibilities, though none have been officially approved yet.

It was a gamble, but Starfleet Academy didn’t quite work out. The idea had been floated for a while, and placing it so far in the future as a follow-up to Discovery didn’t resonate with many fans. Though it wasn’t flawless, I enjoyed the show and believe it deserved more time to develop. Unfortunately, it was cancelled, and now Star Trek needs a fresh approach to stay relevant. Hopefully, one of the projects currently in development will revitalize the franchise.

7
‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 3

Unlike some other shows, there wasn’t much speculation about whether Prodigy would be good – fans were genuinely excited for it. And it delivered! The first two seasons have been almost universally praised, earning a very high 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. As a continuation of the spirit of Star Trek: Voyager, the animated series successfully combines classic elements with new ideas, even more effectively than Starfleet Academy tried to do. While designed for a younger audience, it doesn’t talk down to them. It’s clearly still Star Trek, but unfortunately, production stopped abruptly after Season 2 was released on Netflix in 2024. It hasn’t been officially canceled, but simply left unfinished without any clear reason. Hopefully, it will find a new home on a streaming service – both Paramount+ and Netflix have surprisingly distanced themselves from what is essentially a fantastic show.

6
‘Star Trek: Year One’

As a huge Star Trek fan, I was really excited when I heard about Year One! It’s meant to show what life was like on Kirk’s Enterprise right before the original series started, and the best part is it would continue the story and use the same cast and sets as Strange New Worlds – honestly, one of the best Star Trek shows we’ve had in years. The team behind Strange New Worlds actually pitched it to Paramount, but we haven’t heard anything since. Honestly, after Starfleet Academy tried something totally new, Year One feels a little like a step backward. It seems like they’re playing it safe, and while that might not be what Star Trek needs creatively, it would definitely bring in viewers, and maybe that’s the most important thing right now.

5
‘Star Trek: Janeway’

The popularity of Star Trek: Prodigy not only brought Kate Mulgrew back as Captain Kathryn Janeway, but also reignited fan enthusiasm for the character. The positive reception to Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard in a live-action series helped as well. Mulgrew recently shared with TrekMovie that producer Alex Kurtzman has proposed a Star Trek: Janeway series, though the initial concept seemed unusual – he envisioned it as a Western-themed story, which Mulgrew admits she didn’t fully understand. Despite this, the project isn’t dead; Mulgrew is waiting for a compelling pitch, and Paramount still needs to approve it.

4
‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Live-Action Sequel

Despite being a bit of a surprise hit, Lower Decks concluded after five seasons, a decision that many fans disliked. However, it made logical sense, as the characters were getting promoted, making the show’s focus on lower-ranking crew members less relevant. There’s been discussion about the cast potentially returning in live-action, like Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome did when they appeared as Ensigns Boimler and Mariner in an episode of Strange New Worlds called “Those Old Scientists.” While there haven’t been any firm announcements about a new project, fans are eager to see the Lower Decks characters show up in live-action again, even if it’s just brief appearances in other Star Trek series.

3
‘Star Trek: United’

When it originally aired in the 2000s, Star Trek: Enterprise received a lot of criticism. Now, with newer Star Trek shows proving controversial, many fans are hoping for a return to familiar faces like Captain Jonathan Archer, played by Scott Bakula. Star Trek: United would aim to deliver that, presenting a political thriller centered around Admiral Archer as the United Federation of Planets is first established. Although Paramount previously turned down a proposal for a sequel series from Bakula and producer Matt Sussman, they haven’t given up and believe they can develop the idea into something Paramount can’t refuse. According to TrekMovie, Bakula was still committed to Star Trek: United as of August 2025.

2
‘Star Trek: Kirk’

While nothing is official yet, there’s been talk of a potential return for William Shatner as James T. Kirk, possibly following the same naming style as Star Trek: Picard. About a year ago, Shatner hinted he might be willing to come out of retirement for the role. Even though Kirk seemingly died in the film Star Trek: Generations in 1994, there are sci-fi possibilities for bringing the character back. According to The Direct, Shatner said any return would need a meaningful story, and he was close to hearing a pitch that interested him. We haven’t heard much lately, which could mean the project is either progressing well or has stalled.

1
‘Star Trek: Legacy’

The third season of Star Trek: Picard concluded with Jeri Ryan’s character, Captain Seven of Nine, taking command of the new USS Enterprise-G. This ending strongly suggested a potential spin-off series following Seven and her crew on classic Star Trekstyle missions. The show’s creator, Terry Matalas, confirmed this was his intention, with the project unofficially known as Star Trek: Legacy. Although fans have been requesting this spin-off from Paramount for three years, it hasn’t been officially greenlit yet. It remains a highly desired Star Trek project and many believe it would be a better show than, and ultimately replace, Starfleet Academy*.

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2026-03-26 01:23