{"id":1263956,"date":"2026-03-04T15:24:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=616692"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:24:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:24:14","slug":"the-starfleet-academy-trailer-is-pure-star-trek-catnip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/the-starfleet-academy-trailer-is-pure-star-trek-catnip\/","title":{"rendered":"The Starfleet Academy trailer is pure Star Trek catnip"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A dawn of a new future, a rousing speech from a Federation captain, a young squad of cadets mixing and mingling, multiple references to Deep Space Nine<\/a><\/em> and Voyager<\/a><\/em>\u2026 if the last few years of new Star Trek wasn\u2019t for you, Starfleet Academy<\/a><\/em> is working hard to win you back.<\/p>\n

At Saturday\u2019s epically sized Star Trek Universe panel out of the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con, Starfleet Academy<\/em> co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau took to the stage to introduce the newest show to the slate. While a Muppet version of Strange New Worlds<\/em><\/a> sounds like a hoot and a narrative podcast centered on Khan<\/a> could successfully indulge the TOS nostalgia in a way that Star Trek Into Darkness<\/em> could not, SDCC is always the most exciting when something fresh hits the stage. Starfleet Academy<\/em> has been long anticipated since it was announced in 2023<\/a>, and now we have our first look at the 2026 series, and a taste for what\u2019s in store for season 1.<\/p>\n

Set in the Star Trek: Discovery <\/em>timeline of the 32nd century<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0deep breaths! \u2014 Starfleet Academy<\/em> picks up after the Federation\u2019s training program accepts a new class of cadets after a 120-year hiatus. Much like Saved by the Bell: The College Years<\/em>, the school looks populated by young hot people who are both striving for success but are extremely hormonal, alien species be damned. The legendary Holly Hunter leads the cast as Nahla Ake, the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Captain of the U.S.S. Athena, \u201cwho also happens to be a long-lived half-Lanthanite,\u201d according to Paramount (and who gives the big speech over the trailer). And none other than Paul Giamatti is popping up as the season\u2019s villain Nus Braka, a part Klingon, part Tellarite do-badder \u201cwith an ominous past connected to one of our cadets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who are the cadets? Here\u2019s the official rundown of new recruits:<\/p>\n