‘Star Trek: Discovery’ to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024

Joe Otterson
·6 min read
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“Star Trek: Discovery” will end with the upcoming Season 5 at Paramount+, Variety has learned. In addition, the fifth and final season will now debut in early 2024 as opposed to this year as originally thought.

Filming is mostly complete on Season 5, but according to an individual with knowledge of the situation, there will be some additional filming that has yet to take place. In addition, Paramount is planning to send the show off in style, with events planned in certain key markets throughout the year leading up to the final season’s release. Further details will be released at a later date.

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“I can hardly believe that this mind-blowing journey with ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is ending,” said series star and producer Sonequa Martin-Green. “I’m astoundingly blessed by God to have played Captain Michael Burnham and to have taken part in a legacy alongside an extraordinary cast, phenomenal crew and remarkable writing team. To our most supportive partners at CBS Studios and Paramount+, who insisted on making television history, I’m deeply grateful. I’m also deeply grateful for the creative collaboration with our showrunners Michelle Paradise and Alex Kurtzman, as well as Olatunde Osunsanmi and the incomparable team of executive producers. I will never forget how it felt to stand together as a show family, cradling the heirloom of ‘Trek’ with all those from the franchise at large and with the fans. The fans welcomed us into their hearts as we launched a new iteration of ‘Trek’ and an entire entertainment platform, and we’ll never forget it. 65 episodes later, here’s to the entire company of ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ to the show and its fifth and final season, to its beloved fans and to all those who envision a better future. Let’s fly… ”

“As lifelong fans of ‘Star Trek,’ it has been an immense honor and privilege to help bring ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ to the world,” added executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise. “The ‘Trek’ universe means so much to so many – including us – and we couldn’t be prouder of everything ‘Discovery’ has contributed to its legacy, particularly with representation. If just one person sees themselves, or the possibilities for their future, in a new way because of ‘Discovery,’ then we think we’d have made Gene Roddenberry very proud. Of course, there would be no ‘Discovery’ without Sonequa Martin-Green and the extraordinary team of artists, both in front of and behind the camera, who have brought this show to life. Their passion and determination to make every episode special has been deeply inspiring; so too has their love and support for one another and their genuine love for ‘Star Trek.’ ‘Discovery’ has truly become a family over the years – and we couldn’t be more grateful to be part of it.” To the fans around the world, thank you for joining us on this incredible journey. Your love for these characters and your excitement for every episode, every season, has meant the world to us. We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on for this final season; we appreciate your patience in the meantime and trust us when we say it’ll be worth the wait. We love you all! LLAP”

Along with Martin-Green, the series also stars Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala, Blu del Barrio, Callum Keith Rennie. Per the official logline, Season 5 “will find Captain Burnham (Martin-Green) and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.”

“Discovery” has been the flagship modern “Star Trek” series since it launched in 2017, at a time when Paramount+ was still known as CBS All Access. The series kicked off the rebooted “Star Trek” TV universe and led to the successful spinoff “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which is currently prepping its second season. The show also chalked up a number of firsts for the franchise, including having a Black female protagonist in Michael Burnham. It also prominently featured LGBTQIA+ characters in a way not previously seen in a “Star Trek” show.

“When we first started talking about the return of ‘Star Trek’ eight years ago, we never could have imagined the indelible impact ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ would have,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “The series brought back a beloved global franchise, and just like its predecessors, ‘Discovery’ honored ‘Star Trek’s’ legacy of ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations,’ representing the best of what we could be as humans when we celebrate our differences. I’d like to thank Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise, who have led this show with heart, passion, and as fans themselves with vivid storytelling – always ready to push boundaries like those before them. And finally, I’d like to thank this talented cast, led by the brilliant Sonequa Martin-Green, whose leadership both onscreen and off has helped guide the way from day one.”

Bryan Fuller and Kurtzman are the credited creators of “Discovery.” Kurtzman and Paradise serve as executive producers and co-showrunners, with Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth also executive producing. CBS Studios produces in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout is currently under an overall deal at CBS Studios.

“’Star Trek: Discovery’ is a perennial favorite on the service, near and dear to the hearts of legions of ‘Star Trek’ fans as well as all of us here at Paramount+,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount Streaming. “The series and its incredible cast and creatives ushered in a new era for ‘Star Trek’ when it debuted over six years ago, embracing the future of streaming with serialized storytelling, bringing to life deep and complex characters that honor Gene Roddenberry’s legacy of representing diversity and inclusion, and pushing the envelope with award-winning world-building. This final season will see our beloved crew take on a new adventure and we can’t wait to celebrate the series’ impact on the franchise leading up to its final season early next year.”

The ending of “Discovery” comes as Paramount looks to continue building on the success of the “Star Trek” franchise while also coming to grips with the financial realities of the streaming era, as most major media companies have announced plans to slash content spending in the years going forward.

Along with “Discovery” and “Strange New Worlds,” Paramount+ is currently airing the third and final season of “Star Trek: Picard,” which features a reunion of the “Next Generation” cast alongside series lead Patrick Stewart. There have been rumors that spinoffs built around characters in “Picard” could also be in the works.

Paramount+ also has the adult animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” which is prepping its fourth season, as well as the Nickelodeon series “Star Trek: Prodigy,” which is prepping its second season. Paramount has also been developing a Starfleet Academy series for some time, along with a series about the mysterious Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, a character she originated on “Discovery.”

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