Paramount+ is expanding Star Trek’s sci-fi franchise with the new series Starfleet Academy. It’s not the spin-off fans are clamouring for the most right now
With the 3rd season of Picard and the 5th season of Discovery, two Star Trek series are coming to an end soon. However, the popular science fiction franchise will not shrink. Paramount+ has now ordered a new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Many fans are not very happy about the announcement. The call for a completely different spin-off has not been answered.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be a sci-fi teen series – and fans aren’t thrilled
Starfleet Academy is now the 7th Star Trek series to be announced by Paramount+. Within the last six years, the streaming service expanded the franchise with the live-action series Discovery, Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as well as the short film series Star Trek: Short Treks. In addition, the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy.
Starfleet Academy is expected to launch in 2025 and is the first Star Trek series to revolve around the training and adventures of young cadets at Starfleet Academy. Franchise head Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, who previously developed the youth series Nancy Drew, will be the creative directors.
The series is expected to be set in the 32nd century and would thus be a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery. In that, in season 4, Starfleet Academy reopened over a century after the fire (a galaxy-wide disaster that resulted in the collapse of the Federation). Hapt character Tilly (Mary Wiseman) left her post to teach at the Academy.
A teen series in the Star Trek cosmos is certainly an exciting and new approach to the franchise. However, under the announcement of Starfleet Academy on Twitter heaped disappointment on many fans who had hoped for another project to be ordered.
Fans: “Gosh we love Strange New Worlds and Picard Season 3. Please give us more shows like that.”
Paramount: “Best I can do is a Discovery spin-off.” pic.twitter.com/phAU4TwKwH
– KC Ross (@KCharlesRoss) March 30, 2023
“Fans: We love Strange New Worlds and Picard season 3. Please give us more shows like this.
Paramount: The best I can do is a Discovery spin-off “
I’m sorry, but as a 30+ year Trek fan, this is not what most wanted after StarTrekPicard We want Terry Matala’s 25th Century starship Trek. StarTrekLegacy
– Osbourn Draw (@OsbournDraw) March 30, 2023
“Sorry, but as a Trek fan for over 30 years, this is not what I wanted after Star Trek: Picard. We want Star Trek in the 25th century by Terry Matals “
Star Trek: Legacy is the series fans really want
The 3rd season of Star Trek: Picard is currently thrilling many fans. Directed by showrunner Terry Matalas, this combines The Next Generation characters with new characters, a large dose of nostalgia and an exciting space story.
But it’s the last season. Terry Matalas recently shared his idea for a sequel on Twitter. His dream project goes by the name Star Trek: Legacy . This spin-off series would pick up where Picard left off and bring together “the last generation and the next generation” of characters.
The idea of the Picard spin-off has been enthusiastically received by fans. Even some Star Trek starsve already spoken euphorically about the potential legacy sequel. Who hasn’t spoken at all about Star Trek: Legacy is Paramount+. With all the hype, it’s surprising that an opposite project, Starfleet Academy, has now been ordered (first).
We would really like the StarTrekLegacy series helmed by showrunner, Terry Matalas, and his team. As fans, we went on this journey with the TOS crew and then the TNG/DS9/VOY crews. Now, we want to see the story boldy move forward with the TITAN crew. CaptainShaw Seven pic.twitter.com/2MttBxPVAd
– METAL GEAR D❗️ (@MetalGearDmodel) March 30, 2023
The success of season 3 of Picard shows that a Star Trek legacyquel is what fans want to see. Both The Next Generation returnees and new characters, such as Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), USS Titan Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick) and Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) are exciting. A sequel could also bring back numerous characters from series such as Star Trek: Starship Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine who are not seen in the Picard finale.
Hope for new adventures in 25th Century after the end of Picard is far from lost. Starfleet Academy is just one of many projects that Alex Kurtzman says could be announced soon.
