Star Trek: Discovery Will End After Season 5
The Paramount+ sci-fi drama will embark on its final voyage with its upcoming fifth season.
Sources say the principal filming of the season is mostly complete. But with this move to end the show, there will be additional filming to help craft a conclusion for the series. The fifth and final season will premiere in early 2024.
Launched in 2017, Discovery is credited with successfully launching a new era of Trek TV. The series, starring Sonequa Martin-Green, was heralded as the first Trek show headed by a Black female lead, plus marked other firsts along the way in LGBTQIA+ representation, as well as pioneered a more serialized storytelling format for the 50-year-old franchise. Discovery also helped launch CBS’ streaming service (then called CBS All Access) and currently stands as Paramount+’s longest-running drama. The success of Discovery led to a multitude of other Trek projects being developed, including animated shows Lower Decks and Prodigy.
“When we first started talking about the return of Star Trek eight years ago, we never could have imagined the indelible impact Star Trek: Discovery would have,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “The series brought back a beloved global franchise, and just like its predecessors Discovery honored Star Trek’s legacy of ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations,’ representing the best of what we could be as humans when we celebrate our differences.”
The move comes on the heels of Paramount+ announcing another member of its Trek team, Star Trek: Picard will wrap with its current third season.
The Discovery team issued statements about the decision. Executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise wrote: “As lifelong fans of Star Trek, it has been an immense honor and privilege to help bring Star Trek: Discovery to the world. The Trek universe means so much to so many – including us – and we couldn’t be prouder of everything Discovery has contributed to its legacy, particularly with representation. If just one person sees themselves, or the possibilities for their future, in a new way because of Discovery, then we think we’d have made Gene Roddenberry very proud. Of course, there would be no Discovery without Sonequa Martin-Green and the extraordinary team of artists, both in front of and behind the camera, who have brought this show to life. Their passion and determination to make every episode special have been deeply inspiring; so too have their love and support for one another and their genuine love for Star Trek. Discovery has truly become a family over the years – and we couldn’t be more grateful to be part of it. To the fans around the world, thank you for joining us on this incredible journey. Your love for these characters and your excitement for every episode, every season, has meant the world to us. We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on for this final season; we appreciate your patience in the meantime and trust us when we say it’ll be worth the wait. We love you all! LLAP”
