Strange New Worlds EP reveals Paramount+ tried to cancel the show after season 4
The final season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds nearly didn’t happen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Akiva Goldsman confirmed that Paramount+ wanted to axe the series after its upcoming fourth season.
Goldsman told the outlet that Paramount originally said to "make a movie" as a finale, but the team pushed back, arguing a two-hour wrap-up would be inadequate. The eventual compromise, per Goldsman, resulted in the recently announced sixth and final season consisting of six episodes.
The report notes the series was caught up in the broader upheaval at Paramount+ following the Skydance Media buyout of Paramount, which led to the cancellation of multiple Star Trek shows. Goldsman stated that seasons 3 and 4 of Strange New Worlds were produced with the constant suspicion they could be the show's last.
As for what to expect from the abbreviated final run, Goldsman described season 5 to ScreenRant as "a suite of episodes." Actor Paul Wesley, who plays James T. Kirk, said the final season will be "very serious" and more "contained," a shift from the genre-hopping experimentation of recent seasons.
Season 4 of Strange New Worlds, which was completed before the renewal, was reportedly made with "big swings" in case it was the end. The series is currently streaming its fourth season on Paramount+.
