Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Three's Teaser Finally Drops out of Warp

"We Make a Pretty Good Team"

Remember Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier? "It's been so long." Well, she's right—it has been too long. But finally, the day after April Fools (no, Paramount isn’t really making that Klingon series we teased everyone with), Trekkies are eating well again. New theories are already circulating on social media and Discord servers after that one-minute and three-second teaser trailer for season three of Strange New Worlds.

After watching that again, it makes sense why the theories are flowing so easily—not to mention the almost two years fans have been waiting since the season two finale. The Strange New Worlds teaser gives us glimpses of a retro-looking sci-fi bridge set, with our bridge crew in equally retro uniforms. I couldn’t help but think back to Stargate SG-1's 200th episode, where they poked a little fun at Star Trek's old aesthetic. We also catch a glimpse of Rhys Darby’s character, who is almost certainly playing Trelane from The Original Series episode “The Squire of Gothos.” If you want to take that one step further—though it’s a bit less likely—he could also be playing a member of the Q Continuum. Or at this point, everyone has always thought Trelane was a Q, so why not both?

The teaser also hints at Jonathan Frakes' Hollywood murder mystery episode, which seems like it could be connected to Rhys Darby’s character, though on a second watch, this seems less likely. Plus, we see what can only be described as a Next Generation-style holodeck ("These Are the Voyages" jokes start here), which also looks tied to the Hollywood murder mystery. But really, at this point, it’s all just speculation.

One thing that stands out is how they’re clearly blending nostalgia with modern storytelling. Strange New Worlds has always had a knack for capturing that classic Trek spirit while pushing the boundaries with fresh ideas and nuanced storytelling. Bringing in characters like Trelane—possibly hinting at some kind of link to the Q Continuum—feels like a brilliant move to expand on both legacy and new lore. And if they’re daring enough to tie in the Q, it’s going to blow fandom theories wide open.

And let’s not forget that visual style! The teaser’s production design is top-notch, effortlessly blending the sleek aesthetic of modern Trek with just enough retro flair to make longtime fans feel right at home. It’s the kind of visual storytelling that’s going to make rewatching the teaser a daily ritual.

Klingons, Gorn, Patton Oswalt (YESSSS) as a Vulcan, more Spock and Chapel romance (for better or for worse)—all of it flashes by in this jam-packed 63 seconds. And let’s not gloss over that little 'shape of things' to come moment between Kirk and Scotty at the Enterprise bar—the beginnings of a relationship that will eventually see Scotty become Jim’s miracle worker.

One thing the trailer absolutely did not give us is a firm release date, instead ending with "Coming This Summer." While that might be a little disappointing, summer really isn’t that far off. Of course, "summer" could also mean August, so we’re cautiously optimistic, landing somewhere on the “sooner rather than later” side of things!

Want more theories and a full breakdown of what we found? Join us next Thursday, April 10th, LIVE on YouTube at 9:30 PM ET. And make sure to keep your transporters locked on Strange New Pod for all the upcoming Strange New Worlds news.