along with the panels on Discovery S4 and Picard S2, we were treated to some new and exciting info on the animated side of the Star Trek franchise, Lower Decks debuted a new trailer, teased us with what we can expect with its second season, AND! the news that the show has been renewed for a third season.
Along with the the Lower Decks info, the team behind Star Trek: Prodigy showed us the much-anticipated artwork for the return of the iconic Kathryn Janeway, when and where and explained how Janeway will feature in the new show.
Without further ado, Let’s hit it…
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2
During the Second Contact panel, series creator Mike McMahan unveiled a quick teaser trailer for Lower Decks season 2, which you can view below.
The trailer also revealed the season’s premiere date of August 12, roughly a year following the series debut in 2020. It looks like our motley crew will be up to some exciting and hilarious sci-fi stuff this season!
The panel also confirmed Jonathan Frakes’ return as Captain Riker!
Along with Riker, we will get to see a LOT more classic Trek in this hilarious Trek shows second season, for example, the classic Miranda Class ship, a Mugato and what looks like an amusing take on “There are four lights“…
Season 2 will air later this year on Paramount+ and its third season will get underway soon.
Lower Decks Season 2 Teaser Gallery
Star Trek: Prodigy
The last panel of the day centred on the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy, a new animated series geared for kids created by Kevin and Dan Hageman of Trollhunters and LEGO Ninjago fame, which included a lot of fresh information about this fascinating new series!
Foremost, we got the first look at Kate Mulgrew’s return as Kathryn Janeway for the series!
This rendition of the character looks just fantastic! Ms Mulgrew had a hand in developing her character’s animated appearance, at one point telling the Hagemans she was “too beautiful,” resulting in an alteration to her chin.
In the show, Janeway is an Emergency Training Hologram aboard a derelict Starfleet ship which the main characters commandeer. The year is 2383, so roughly three years after Lower Decks and about two before the Synth attack on Mars seen in Star Trek: Picard’s first season, and the show takes place in the Delta Quadrant.
The Hagemans confirmed that the show’s young cast knows nothing about Starfleet or the Federation, and it will fall to the Janeway hologram to show these kids (and the kids watching at home!) what Starfleet is and what the Federation stands for. Of the many things they think kids will enjoy about Prodigy, one of the biggest for the Hagemans is that the show doesn’t talk down to its audience. Parents will also get a kick out of the show’s many connections to existing Trek canon, including one member of the main cast who has a connection to The Original Series!
Kate Mulgrew is very excited to return to Star Trek and Janeway, particularly with this show, as it gives her the chance to bring Trek’s positive message and inclusivity to a younger audience, one she feels has been overlooked by the franchise. She feels Janeway is “immutably Janeway,” a character to whom she feels girls will instantly respond, and she sees Janeway as not only a great captain, but a great leader.
In keeping with the day’s theme of First Contact, panel host Mica Barton asked Ms Mulgrew and the Hagemans about their first contact with Star Trek. The Hagemans told a story about how watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at an early age brought them on board; the infamous Ceti eel from that movie affected them creatively as in Trollhunters they made use of a similar creature.
Kate Mulgrew described her first contact as well, in the audition room for Star Trek: Voyager! She had no familiarity with science fiction in general or Star Trek in particular, so she performed her scene, Janeway’s monologue from the end of “Caretaker,” for which she brought all of her acting skill to bear. She shrugged, caught the eye of Rick Berman, winked at him, he winked back, and the rest is galactic history!
Star Trek: Prodigy is scheduled to premiere this year on Paramount+ and will be seen on Nickelodeon soon after completing its streaming run.
But Wait, There’s More!
Panel hosts Wil Wheaton and Mica Barton ended the day’s festivities with one last big announcement: the return of live, in person Star Trek conventions!
From the official announcement:
Star Trek: Mission Chicago will feature celebrity guests, interactive exhibits, exclusive merchandise, photo opportunities, costume exhibits, autograph sessions, gameplay and other special surprises all set within the ever-evolving and expansive Star Trek Universe.
Mission Chicago will give fans the opportunity to boldly explore the past, present and future of the franchise, while embracing the ideals of a diverse and inclusive future that remains at the center of Gene Roddenberry’s beloved creation.
To celebrate First Contact Day 2022, ViacomCBS will be hosting Star Trek: Mission Chicago, a massive gathering of fans and Trek luminaries April 8-10, 2022, and Wil Wheaton will be there! Following Mission Chicago, each year around First Contact Day, a new city will host the convention.
You can find out more at Star Trek Missions!
