Upcoming Star Trek releases in 2023
First and foremost, Happy 2023, loyal readers! There are plenty of exciting things set to arrive this year in the world of Star Trek, and this article will give you a taste of what’s to come.
Television shows
Star Trek: Picard Season 3: Probably the most anticipated season of Star Trek since its return to television in 2017. Terry Matalas takes the reigns as showrunner and the entire TNG crew return to the fold, promising a nostalgic and action-packed conclusion to the limited series. Although details of the storyline are currently shrouded in mystery, it seems that the disappearance of Beverly Crusher will be the catalyst for the crew reuniting and facing off against Amanda Plummer’s villainess. The third season will launch in February.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2: After an excellent first season, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn and the rest of the crew return for more adventures. A few teases for the upcoming season include an Ortegas-focused episode, more James T. Kirk, and exploring the limits of Star Trek’s idealism. Also expect some Klingon action involving Dr. M’Benga, the introduction of a new chief engineer, and a crossover episode with Lower Decks actors Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid, in their respective roles as Mariner and Boimler.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5: Very little is known about the upcoming fifth season, bar the fact that the crew have been promised more fun and adventure. The teaser trailer indicated that there might be an archaeological mystery at the centre of the story. What is in no doubt is that this show will demonstrate the best of humanity through its crew.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4: Returning for a fourth season and no doubt with a Voyage Home-style teaser poster, the upcoming fourth season promises plenty of laughs, heart, and a number of legacy characters. Again, little is known about Season 4 but expect ten episodes to drop later this year.
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2: Following the cataclysmic events of “Supernova, Parts 1 and 2”, the Prodigy crew head out on a new adventure, on a new vessel. Although not officially confirmed, it looks like this ship will be tied to Star Trek: Voyager in a big way and open the door for a number of legacy characters to join the crew. If it follows the same release schedule as Season 1, expect the next season to drop in two halves, beginning in the autumn.
Video game
Star Trek: Resurgence: Dramatic Labs’ upcoming console and PC game promises to immerse you into the roles of several Starfleet officers onboard the USS Resolute during the post-TNG-movies era. This narrative-led game promises lots of action and excitement as well as a cameo from Spock. The game is expected to drop sometime in April.
Physical media
The first ten episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy are due for release on DVD and Blu-ray in early January, followed by Strange New Worlds in March. It’s rumoured that the TNG movies will be released on 4K around First Contact Day, in April.
Novels
It currently seems that 2023 will be slim pickings for Star Trek novels. Strange New Worlds and Discovery have one novel each scheduled (specifically, The High Country by John Jackson Miller and Somewhere to Belong by Dayton Ward) but, so far, no classic series novels have been announced.
Beginning in January, there will be a number of young-adult Prodigy books. They promise to fill in missing adventures from the show’s first season.
Reference books
Several non-fiction books will be released this year. Firstly, a companion book to the commemorative History Channel documentary series The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek is due in March. Next will be an art book about the Star Trek work of concept designer and makeup artist Neville Page in April. These tomes will be followed by Star Trek: Picard – The Art and Making of the Series in May, A Different Trek: Radical Geographies of Deep Space Nine in July, and, for the holiday season, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film.
A book authored by Nana Visitor and known as “A Woman’s Trek” will explore the key women in the Star Trek universe and discover how they’ve empowered millions of people around the globe. There will also be a non-fiction book focused on Nichelle Nichols to look forward to as well as a kids’ biographical book about William Shatner.
A new series of making-of hardcover books focusing on the individual TNG seasons are due to begin releasing from September, written by Matt McAllister. These books promise to tell the definitive story of the production of TNG.
Comics
In addition to completing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Illyrian Enigma (releasing the remaining three of four issues) and Star Trek: Resurgence (with three out of five issues still due), IDW will continue to publish its ongoing Star Trek line featuring the return of Ben Sisko and his command of a motley crew. This will be joined by Defiant, a Worf-centric series to be released in March, leading to a crossover issue between these two ongoing series. Entitled “Day of Blood”, the issue will be released to mark Free Comic Book Day in May.
Intriguingly, look for a five-part DS9 miniseries launching in April called “The Dog of War”, featuring a Welsh Corgi named “Latinum”. There will also be trade paperback graphic-novel releases of the Aliens, Lower Decks, The Mirror War, Stargazer and Warriors of the Mirror War miniseries – omnibus collections of stories already released as individual issues.
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
Due for release sometime this year, this upcoming crowdfunded Voyager retrospective will examine what makes the series special to so many people. Including interviews with cast and crew members as well as with fans, this film has the prospect of becoming something very special.
“Set a new course…”
So, there you have it – we have a lot to look forward to, this year, with new things surely to be added to the release schedule as the year proceeds. Please continue to check back regularly to Warp Factor Trek for interviews, reviews, and plenty of exciting surprises. Here’s to an amazing 2023. Make it so!
Jamie Flint has been a Star Trek fan since he was four years old and caught the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on television. He quickly devoured the other movies and TV episodes and can fondly remember being the youngest person in the cinema watching Generations.
Thirty years later, you’ll find him watching all the series — both new and old — with his little family. Oh, and he is a big defender of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier!