New York Comic Con (NYCC) has certainly been flying the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy flag! There’s a large banner welcoming visitors into the venue and a booth providing an interactive experience for budding cadets. To add to this, the Star Trek Universe panel at NYCC has given us a fresh look at the series with a brand new trailer! And yes, this trailer finally confirms a premiere date for the first season: January 15th, 2026!
Read on for more details and to see the trailer!
Recap: What Is Academy?
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a live-action series that focuses on the reopening of the aforementioned campus. It revolves around the first class of Starfleet cadets to attend the academy in 120 years. This new series marks the second Star Trek outing set in the 32nd Century.
We’ll be meeting new characters like Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and Commander Lura Throk (Gina Yashere). This series is not without its nostalgia, however, as we’ll be reunited with Star Trek: Voyager legend The Doctor (Robert Picardo). Other returning characters include Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) and Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) from Star Trek: Discovery. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) is also slated to return, but is currently in only one episode.
Academy’s First Official Trailer
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s first official trailer gives us a taste of the story and campus life we can expect from the show. There’s a sense of hope and rebirth for the Academy itself, while the trailer also touches on darker plots and motives afoot. And, as you would expect from a college or university campus, it looks like there’ll be a little romance sprinkled through the series.
Stephen Colbert Joins the Show
But that’s not all! In a surprise announcement via video, we learned that Stephen Colbert will be joining Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as its Digital Dean of Students! Here’s what he had to say.
“Folks, I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you in person today, but I’m a perfectionist, and I just didn’t have enough bunting for my Mugato cosplay… However, nothing could stop me from sharing this exciting news; I’m honored to announce that my beautiful voice will be joining Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as the Digital Dean of Students.”
Back for Season 2
New York Comic Con continues the hype, with Starfleet Academy‘s young cast clearly barely containing their emotions in the build-up to their series premiere next year. Amongst the enthusiastic panellists were Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir), Karim Diane (Jay-Den Kraag), Kerrice Brooks (Sam), George Hawkins (Darem Reymi), Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe) and Zoe Steiner (Tarima Sadal).
For many of the cast, it’s their first professional gig, and for some, their first Comic-Con! Thankfully, there are plenty of veteran actors in the cast and Star Trek family to guide them. And that means some amazing real-life mentors to look up to, too! But wow, they’re in for a journey of discovery in the strange new world of Trek fandom!
Starfleet Academy hasn’t even aired its debut season yet, but its young cast is already set to return for their sophomore year. The series secured its Season 2 renewal earlier this year and has already begun filming. For fans, it’s just months to go until the Season 1 premiere, and we’ll be there to cover every episode!
Promo Image Gallery
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+ from January 15, 2026. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+
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