After the dramatic ending to season 2, Trek fans are on tenterhooks to learn what will become of the Discovery crew in season 3. And now there’s a whole batch of new information that’s been shared at San Diego Comic-Con.
The big announcement from the SDCC panel is a new cast member who will be joining next season: David Ajala. The British actor is known for his role in the (delightful, and criminally underrated) sci-fi fantasy Jupiter Ascending, as well as a turn in the action flick Fast & Furious 6. And British TV viewers will recognize him from parts on shows like Doctor Who, Black Mirror, and Misfits.
Ajala will be playing a new character named Cleveland Booker (a.k.a. “Book”), possessed of a “natural charm and reckless attitude” but there’s no word yet on whether he’s an Enterprise ally or enemy, so you’ll have to tune into season 3 to learn more. In the first episode we’ll also learn who the captain of the Enterprise will be.
It’s been revealed that the series will take place 1000 years in the future, so who knows what surprises will await Michael and the others. Season 3 won’t stray too far from the spirit of Trek though. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman promised that the season would honor the canon and not erase previously established Trek history, saying that the show will continue to be “Star Trek the way Roddenberry wanted it.”
As well as the season 3 news, there are also updates on Short Treks, the short films set in the Star Trek universe which are distributed online. Six new shorts will be released, including ones featuring Spock and Captain Pike. And there will be tribbles! Everyone’s favorite fur balls will be making an appearance.
One short will be garnering particular attention: A Picard story, staring the one and only Patrick Stewart, which will serve as an introduction and a teaser for the Picard spin-off show.
