Starfleet Academy highlights Star Trek's legacy as its central strength

Paramount+'s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premieres January 15, 2026 with two episodes and deliberately leans on the franchise's history and returning elements to link a new class of cadets to Starfleet's past.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy arrives on Paramount+ with two episodes on January 15, 2026. The series is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau and is set in the late 32nd century after the events of Star Trek: Discovery. It places a new generation of cadets back on Earth as Starfleet Academy returns to San Francisco and uses the USS Athena as a campus. Paramount+ has released key art and a trailer that explicitly reference past Star Trek captains and characters. Key details: - Executive producers are Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau. - The show premieres with two episodes on January 15, 2026, on Paramount+. - It is set in the late 32nd century as a direct spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery; the cadets are described as the first class to study on Earth in 120 years after the United Federation of Planets broke apart following The Burn. - A trailer titled "Carry the Legacy and Create the Future" quotes multiple past Starfleet captains and emphasizes the franchise's history. - Holly Hunter plays Chancellor Captain Nahla Ake; The Doctor (Robert Picardo) is reported to serve as an instructor and the USS Athena doubles as the Academy's campus. - New cadets and characters named in coverage include Genesis Lythe, SAM, Tarima Sadal, Jay-Den Kraag, and the season antagonist Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti). Summary: Starfleet Academy positions itself around established Star Trek history and recurring figures to connect a young-adult-oriented cast to the franchise's lineage. Paramount+ released trailer and key art ahead of a planned world premiere in New York City, and the series will begin streaming on January 15, 2026.