With the news of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's cancellation dominating the first half of the 2026 TV schedule, some might've forgotten it still has another season on the way. Season 2 will air sometime in 2027 for those with a Paramount+ subscription, and while we wait on that, star Robert Picardo shared a hopeful wish for the series' future.
Picardo was recently doing some post-production work on Season 2, and hyped up anyone waiting on these episodes when they drop. While it's bittersweet that there are only so many episodes left, I'm in my feels to hear how proud he is of them. Check out his message he posted on X alongside a BTS image:
Had a post-production recording session at #SkylineStudios for @startrek #StarfleetAcademy , recently canceled by @paramountplus. I was stunned by the powerful storytelling, gorgeous visuals and incredible performances of the actors playing our young cadets. So proud to be part of this noble addition to Gene Roddenberry's diverse and inclusive vision of humanity's future in space. May that vision survive.
When CinemaBlend talked to Robert Picardo back in 2025, asking if he believed Paramount+'s merger with Skydance would impact Starfleet Academy, he felt positive that it wouldn't. Now, as another merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is imminent, and the franchise's future looks more uncertain than ever, I can't help but be bummed out that he seems less sure in his latest comments.
On the flip side, I'm happy that he feels proud of the work he and the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy put in on Season 2, and hopes it will impact the future of the franchise going forward. At a time when no active Trek shows are in development, I think it's important for fans and stars to stay clear about what they want when it comes to any potential return.
It's a question many will have to figure out following Starfleet Academy's cancellation, which promised a lot of original stories and new developments in the Star Trek universe. Unfortunately, some fans preferred sticking to the past, with Picard Season 3 and Strange New Worlds seeing some of the best viewership numbers of this new era.
It's clear nostalgia resonates with a large number of Star Trek fans, but we've also heard Paramount fears the fandom is dying. The franchise is stuck between a rock and a hard place, in which it needs a show that will serve as an entry point for new fans, but will also be embraced by the existing fandom.
If the answers for how to solve this problem were simple, I don't think Paramount would've let one of its most-revered franchises get in this position. Unfortunately, it's in a jam, and while we're seeing plans for Trek to go back to theaters, we're left twiddling our thumbs and wondering what's next on the television side.
Until then, we still have Star Trek left to enjoy over on Paramount+. As mentioned, Starfleet Academy will likely return in 2027, and I can't wait to see how the final season plays out.
