The popular Star Trek prequel is coming back for season 5 –  but Strange New Worlds ends with a shortened final run. 

In the 90s, in the era of network television and syndication, Star Trek shows ran for 20+ episodes a year over seven-year runs. Today, the streaming world is very different.

The modern re-incarnation of Star Trek, which began with Discovery, has hopped networks and enjoyed shorter runs. Of those shows, the one which has garnered the most critical and fan acclaim is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Spinning out of Discovery, it follows the adventures of the USS Enterprise under Captain Chistopher Pike. He was the ill-fated adventurer who commanded the ship before James T. Kirk. A homage to the original 60s series, it has played with a mix of legacy and new characters, returning to story-of-the-week adventures. It’s also proven adept at genre hopping, from musical to animated crossovers.

We’re just about to see the long-awaited Season 3, which premieres at Paramount+ on Thursday, July 17th.

Now, Paramount+ have laid out the show’s future

We already knew that a 10-part season 4 was coming, as the start of shooting was confirmed back in March.

After that, a fifth and final season will go into production later this year. Strange New Worlds season 5 will run to six episodes, four shorter than the show’s previous runs. This may be as a result of corporate behind-the-scenes issues, with Paramount Global cost cutting due to ‘economic headwinds’.

Executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and Alex Kurtzman said:

“From the very beginning, Strange New Worlds set out to honor what Star Trek has always stood for — boundless curiosity, hope and the belief that a better future is possible. We’re deeply grateful to Paramount+ for the chance to complete our five-season mission, just as we envisioned it, alongside our extraordinary cast and crew. And to the passionate fans who’ve boldly joined us on this journey — THANK YOU. With three more spectacular seasons ahead for you to see and enjoy, this adventure is far from over.”

Across the show’s remaining 26 episodes it has some work to do to bring Christopher Pike to his wheelchair bound destiny, as seen in the Star Trek: The Original Series. Perhaps we’ll see Kirk assume command too, and the arrival of characters such as Doctor McCoy and helmsman Hikaru Sulu.

We’ll keep you posted on Strange New Worlds season 4 and 5 – which we expect to land in 2026 and 2027, respectively.