“I’m excited for that evolution” - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Paul Wesley teases what to expect from the final season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently airing its third season, but the show has already been renewed for two more installments. Paramount+ has confirmed that the sci-fi drama will finish its run after five seasons.

The fourth season has already concluded filming, while the fifth and final season is currently in development. Paul Wesley, who stars in the show as James T. Kirk, has now talked about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5. The show is set before the events of The Original Series, in which Kirk, played by William Shatner, led the crew.

In an interview with TrekMovie, Wesley revealed that Season 5 will showcase the transformation of Kirk into the leader that he became in TOS:

“I am excited for people to see what happens in season 4, and I’m excited for what I’m going to do in season 5, because we are ultimately going to a final destination, which is the Kirk that is the fully-formed Kirk that we know from TOS. And we’re not there yet, but I’m really excited to go there and play that… I’m excited for that evolution, yeah."

Paul Wesley says Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5 will show the evolution of James T. Kirk

During the interview, Paul Wesley also spoke of how he gathered information about James T. Kirk from The Original Series and is trying to portray the emotional aspects of the character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He said:

“In watching TOS, you do learn a lot about the history of Kirk, but it’s very quick… I enjoy taking these kernels, these little things that [are] just pieces of information from TOS and exploring them in an emotional way.”

The actor further revealed that James’s relationship with his older brother, Samuel Kirk, will be an integral part of the upcoming seasons, which will showcase a more human side of the captain:

“My relationship with Sam Kirk… I don’t want to give away too much, but there’s Kirk’s emotional ties to other humans, and I think it’s humanizing a very important character in American television history. So, we’re exploring the human side of a lot of things that are well known in canon, but not necessarily from an emotional perspective.”

The premise of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set during the decade before the events of The Original Series. The show revolves around Captain Christopher Pike and his crew on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), who travel to different worlds in the galaxy and perform some high-stakes missions.

The show's third season premiered on Paramount+ on July 17, 2025. Meanwhile, the fourth season has already finished production, and the fifth and final season has been greenlit by Paramount+.

Apart from Paul Wesley, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Ethan Peck as Spock, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas, Christina Chong as La'An Noonien-Singh, Bruce Horak as Hemmer, Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga, Martin Quinn as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley /Number One.

Trending

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is streaming on Paramount+.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback