This year’s Star Trek Universe panel was hosted online instead of in Hall H. Seeing as a more traditional Comic-Con has been rendered impossible by the pandemic. The panel featured Q&As with both Picard and Discovery, a first look at Lower Decks and updates two new projects.
New Star Trek Projects
The panel opened with event host Dominic Pattern of Deadline talking briefly with Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. The CEOs of Secret Hideout and the creative directors of all things Star Trek.
Here Alex Kurtzman confirmed that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a series focusing in the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike, is in development. A writers room has been assembled and ten stories have been developed. Whether this means that the first season of the show will only have ten episodes or whether only ten episodes have been written so far remains to be seen. No mention was made of when the series can be expected to premiere.
Heather Kadin followed this by officially announcing Star Trek: Prodigy. An animated series for younger audiences on Nickelodeon. The series will be a CGI animated endeavor from Kevin and Dan Hageman the creators of Trollhunters. The series is expected to debut on Nickelodeon in 2021.
Discovery
From here the pane, switched gears to Star Trek: Discovery, featuring the entire principal cast of the show. Co-hosted by co-showrunner Michelle Paradise and executive producer Olatunde Osunsanmi. The cast participated in a virtual table reading of the first act of the finale of season 2; Such Sweet Sorrow Part 2. After the reading the panel switched gears to a Q&A session with question from fans. Giving the cast a chance to discuss where the second season leaves their characters and where they hope to go in season 3. In addition to touching on important and timely themes that the show addresses.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
After Discovery the panel transitioned to a look at the new upcoming animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks. Hosted by show creator and Rick & Morty alum Mike McMahan. Mahan briefly discussed the timeline of show, namely how it takes place between the film Star Trek: Nemesis and the Picard series. Before transitioning into showing a clip of the show to give audiences an idea of the tone and feel for the series. In this clip the show clearly sets itself within the canon of adult animated comedies, show like Rick & Morty and Family Guy. With racy humor, crude language, and some violence and gore. Followed by a Q&A with the principal voice cast who discussed their characters and some of their favorite moments working in the show.
Picard
The Star Trek Universe panel closed with a segment on Star Trek: Picard. Hosted once again by Dominic Pattern and featuring the cast of the new series. This shorter panel didn’t feature clips or readings but was a simple Q&A with the cast. Giving younger cast members a chance to talk about working with veteran Star Trek stars and for the veteran star to talk about reprising their roles after so long. The cast talked very briefly about season 2 and what could fans could look forward to in the new season.
