The Star Trek Discovery season 5 release date couldn’t come soon enough, even though it will mark the conclusion of the show that brought the franchise back to TV after Enterprise.
Here’s everything you should expect from Star Trek Discovery’s return, including when the Star Trek series will debut, where it’s set in the Star Trek timeline, and which Star Trek characters will be back for more adventure.
What is the Star Trek Discovery season 5 release date?
Star Trek Discovery season 5 will be released in early 2024, most likely between January and April, on Paramount Plus.
No exact release date has been announced yet, but with early 2024 getting closer, official confirmation shouldn’t be too far off. Previously, the series had been due to air in 2023, however, a change to the schedule saw it pushed back several months. This change coincided with the news that it will be Discovery’s last season.
Filming took place throughout 2022, followed by minor reshoots in April 2023. Presumably, these reshoots were to retroactively give the series a more conclusive ending after the confirmation that it would be the final adventure.
Who’s in the Star Trek Discovery season 5 cast?
Thankfully for fans of the crew, the entire main Star Trek Discovery cast survived the climax of season 4.
This isn’t unusual for a Star Trek series, which are typically pretty hesitant to kill off main members of the crew (with the exception of Tasha Yar and Jadzia Dax. We miss you.).
This means that audiences can expect to see the return of Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, Tig Notaro, David Ajala, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Bario.
Additionally, Ian Alexander confirmed in a February 2023 interview with Bleeding Cool that they will be back as Gray Tal, who found new life in an artificial body during Star Trek Discovery season 4. They said their character is, “going through a lot of major changes,” in a new form. “He has his own body again, fully formed and corporeal. He gets to explore and play. That’s why we see him change his hair and his look because he was stuck wearing the same clothes that he died in,” said Alexander.
Here’s the speculative Star Trek Discovery season 5 cast list:
- Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
- Doug Jones as Saru
- Anthony Rapp as Dr. Stamets
- Mary Wiseman as Tilly
- Tig Notaro as Jett Reno
- David Ajala as Book
- Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal
- Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber
- Callum Keith Rennie as Captain Rayner
- Ian Alexander as Gray Tal
Of course, expect a few new faces, as well as the return of some recurring characters like Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance or David Cronenberg as Dr. Kovich. A notable new addition is Callum Keith Rennie, who will star as a new Star Trek captain, Captain Rayner.
In addition to the cast, it’s been confirmed that long-term Star Trek collaborator Jonathan Frakes will be directing one or more episodes of the season, including the first half of the finale.
What is Star Trek Discovery season 5 about?
The trailer for Star Trek Discovery season 5 (more on that later) hints that Burnham and her crew will be embarking on a galaxy-spanning treasure hunt.
The official description of the plot explains how Captain Burnham and the crew of the Discovery are set to unveil a galaxy-spanning mystery that will send them on an “epic adventure” to uncover the source of an ancient hidden power. Obviously, this quest isn’t going to be straightforward, as Burnham will face competition from “dangerous foes” who attempt to figure it all out first, and won’t stop until they do.
Aside from that, The first major plotline will be almost certain to take a look at is the rebuilding of the Federation in the aftermath of The Burn. With Earth set to rejoin, audiences could get to see how the Federation re-establishes itself as a force for good in the galaxy and beyond.
We can also expect the Star Trek Discovery season 5 plot to be conclusive, given that it will be the last, but optimistically, Frakes said season 5 has “new energy”, too which sounds great to us. He told Star Trek Explorer, “Discovery is back on track as an action-adventure show, and I guess they got their marching orders to maintain that. Everybody has embraced it, from Michelle Paradise and Alex, down through the cast.”
Is there a Star Trek Discovery season 5 trailer?
The first trailer for Star Trek Discovery season 5 was unveiled at New York Comic Con. It gave audiences a glimpse of that treasure hunt we mentioned earlier, but other than that it’s light on plot details. Mostly, the trailer consists of gorgeous action shots, and some personal moments, and is backed by a musical piece rather than dialogue to keep things mysterious.
Since then, we’ve also had the first full clip from the show (available to watch here) which shows Burnham being attacked by what looks like a group of pirates, before hurtling through space and being saved by the Discovery. It’s classic Discovery: big, cinematic, with great visual effects.
How to watch Star Trek Discovery season 5
Star Trek Discovery season 5 will premiere exclusively on Paramount Plus, the best streaming service for (almost) every piece of Star Trek content.
How many episodes will Star Trek Discovery season 5 have?
Star Trek Discovery season 5 will consist of 10 episodes. This is the fewest amount of episodes of any season of Discovery, which has previously had seasons of 13-15 episodes. But sometimes less is more, right?
So, now you’re caught up with all the news and speculation related to the Star Trek Discovery season 5 release date. For more on the franchise read our interview with Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn and check out our guides speculating about the Star Trek Legacy release date and the Strange New Worlds season 3 release date.
Alternatively, dig deeper into Star Trek lore (no, not Data’s brother) with our ranking of the Star Trek captains, and our picks for the best Star Trek starships. You can also see what’s new on Paramount Plus this month.