The wait for the next upcoming Star Trek series is almost over, as Strange New Worlds Season 3 hits the 2025 TV schedule in July. Right on the heels of the episode titles hinting at the return of Sehlats, another big event from the sci-fi series is being teased Unfortunately, it's one that a lot of fans feared would happen, though I wouldn't get too worked up about what's going on between Kirk and Pike.
The question of how long cast member Anson Mount will remain on Strange New Worlds has been asked since before the series even premiered. Trekkies inquire about this because they know from The Original Series that James T. Kirk will eventually take over as Captain of the Enterprise, and Pike will have a horrific accident during a training exercise with cadets sometime after. A scene in the latest trailer suggests Kirk is passing the torch to his successor, but I don't think that's the case.
Captain Pike Is Shown Seemingly Handing Kirk Control Of The Enterprise
A brief scene in the latest trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shows Mount's Pike offering Paul Wesley's Kirk some advice about making commands from the Captain's chair. Not long after that, fans can see Kirk, who is not yet a Captain in this series, looking at the chair while Spock says he's awaiting orders. It appears there may be a situation where Kirk takes command of the Enterprise in Season 3, but is this where he officially takes command as the new Captain?
It's known that Paul Wesley is interested in doing a TOS reboot of sorts, should the opportunity arise. Wesley has also been confirmed to appear in Season 4 of Strange New Worlds, which is currently in production. While I'm not sure what exactly is happening, there is certainly a chance that the show could be soft-launching a Wesley-led continuation of Strange New Worlds, where Kirk is at the helm.
Why We Shouldn't Be Worried About Anson Mount Leaving Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
While anything is possible in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it is worth pointing out the ample evidence that Anson Mount's Christopher Pike is still in the mix as production continues for Season 4. The actor recently shared a picture from the stage and, given the pics I've seen previously, I would assume Pike is still running the ship.
I should also point out that Paul Wesley told CinemaBlend back in 2023 that Strange New Worlds is essentially the Pike show. That's to say, Kirk taking over would be another show entirely, so I would guess there's no reason to worry about Anson Mount exiting as Pike by the end of Season 3.
So then, why is Kirk seemingly in control of the Enterprise in a Season 3 episode? It could be that the trailer is deliberately misleading, or there are probably a dozen other scenarios I could think of, including everything from time travel to being given temporary command while Pike is off the ship. Fans will get the answer in a future episode, obviously but, until then, I'd advise viewers not to worry too much about Pike for the moment.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 17th. There's still plenty of time to binge the prior two seasons before the new episodes, and I would recommend doing so, considering how long fans have waited for a new season.
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