Paramount+The next big swing for the Star Trek franchise will almost certainly be its riskiest. Not since Deep Space Nine has a new Star Trek series not been set specifically on a starship. But now, for the first time since 1993, an ongoing Trek series will be, at least partially, based on Earth. The upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has finally revealed a ton of details about the premise of the show, the cast of characters, the timeline, and the window for the release date.Here’s everything we know right now about the new, yet-to-be-released TV series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. What is the plot for Starfleet Academy? Starfleet Academy is a spinoff of Discovery, which was last set toward the end of the 32nd century. In Discovery Season 3 and 4, Earth became a part of the Federation again, after decades of interstellar estrangement. This means that it’s been over a century since Starfleet Academy been on Earth, making this a welcome return to San Francisco for the academy.Apart from that, we don’t know much about the actual plot for Starfleet Academy. But we’ll likely learn more soon.Who is in the cast of Starfleet Academy? Bella Shepard in Starfleet Academy. | Paramount+The cast of Starfleet Academy will mostly be focused on new, young characters who are all in the same class at the titular academy. But, there will also be advisors, and more seasoned Starfleet folks too, as well as some villains. Here’s who’s who in the Starfleet Academy cast. Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake, Chancellor of Starfleet Academy. According to the press release, she “also happens to be a long-lived Lanthanite.” This is the same species as Pelia (Carol Kane) from Strange New Worlds, and seems to indicate that Ake will have memories of Starfleet going back several centuries. Kerrice Brooks as a cadet Sam (no last name), of the Kasquian species. Bella Shepard as cadet Genesis Lythe, of the Dar-Sha species.George Hawkins as cadet Darem Reymi, of the Khionian species.Karim Diané as cadet Jay-Den Kraag, a Klingon.Sandro Rosta as cadet Caleb Mir, a human.Paul Giamatti in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. | Paramount+Tig Notaro as Jett Reno, returning from Star Trek: Discovery.Robert Picardo as the Doctor, returning from Star Trek: Voyager.Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly, returning from Star Trek: Discovery.Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance, returning from Star Trek: DiscoveryGina Yashere as Commander Lura Thok, a Klingon/Jem’Hadar.Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal, the daughter of the president of Betazed.Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka, the main villain. According to the press releases, he has “an ominous past connected to one of our cadets” and is “part Klingon, part Tellarite.”Tatiana Maslany and Becky Lynch will also appear in the series, though their roles have not been made entirely clear.Giamatti’s villain character can be seen at the end of the first Starfleet Academy trailer, marching through the halls of a Federation starship, whistling the opening notes to the original Star Trek theme, composed by Alexander Courage, back in 1964.What is the release date for Starfleet Academy?George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, and Kerrice Brooks in Starfleet Academy. | Paramount+Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will debut sometime in “early 2026.” The exact release date has not been confirmed. However, it stands to reason that Starfleet Academy will debut before Strange New Worlds Season 4, which is expected in late 2026.Is there a trailer for Starfleet Academy?At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, on July 26, Paramount+ revealed the first trailer for Starfleet Academy. In it, Holly Hunter narrates as the chancellor of Starfleet Academy, welcoming cadets back to San Francisco and Earth for the first time in over a century.The first trailer introduces the new setting on Earth, teases a new starship, the USS Athena, and reveals the entire cast of characters, including some familiar faces.The existing Star Trek series, including Star Trek: Discovery, all stream on Paramount+.