Paramount+Thanks to a ripple in time, Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) has seen the very near future of her time on the USS Enterprise. In the Season 4 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, thanks to this time jump, the beloved prequel series is starting to truly fulfill its promise of taking the action right up to the beginning of The Original Series, or, at the very least, just before “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” But now that Strange New Worlds Season 4 has ended with a preview of the future, fans are probably wondering if we’ve also been given a taste of what Season 5 will truly feel like.According to SNW showrunner Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, the short answer is yes. Here’s what to know about Strange New Worlds Season 5, including the plot and episode structure, the cast, and the possible release date window. No spoilers ahead for Strange New Worlds Season 5; some spoilers ahead for Strange New Worlds Season 4.Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5 Release Window La'an (Christina Chong) and Chapel (Jess Bush) in the Strange New Worlds Season 4 finale. | Paramount+Although nothing has been set in stone yet, it seems likely that Strange New Worlds Season 5 will either release in the summer of 2027 (like Season 4) or the fall. In terms of the current slate of Paramount+ streaming Star Trek shows, which were produced by Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, there are just two seasons of two different shows remaining: Starfleet Academy Season 2 and Strange New Worlds Season 5. Based on the release schedule in 2026, it stands to reason that the year will begin with Starfleet Academy Season 2, and Strange New Worlds Season 5 will follow. Meaning, if this pattern holds, this time next year, in 2027, we’ll be saying the final goodbye to Strange New Worlds and watching it retroactively become a part of the backstory of The Original Series. Strange New Worlds Season 5 Plot, Episode Structure A “future” version of the Enterprise crew, which could preview the feeling of Season 5. | Paramount+While Strange New Worlds has become famous for an episode-of-the-week format, more in keeping with The Original Series and The Next Generation, the show has also introduced a genre-bending element, too. We’ve had fairy tale episodes, a Hollywood murder mystery episode, a puppet episode, a soap opera, and a musical. But this genre experimentation in Strange New Worlds will not be a key feature of the fifth and final season.“Without revealing anything, I would say that next season, we approach story a little bit more like traditional Star Trek episodes,” Henry Alonso Myers tells Inverse. “But, as always, the character stories arc over the season.”Akiva Goldsman also points out that this means that there will be less experimentation in episode formats in Season 5, saying: “To some people's delight and to other people's disappointment, the genre swings are gone next year...this is not to say that all the stories have the same tone, but it is a suite of episodes, and that suite of episodes is about saying goodbye.”Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5 Cast Kirk (Paul Wesley), Scotty (Martin Quinn), and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Strange New Worlds Season 4. | Paramount+In theory, the cast for Strange New Worlds Season 5 will be massive. Here’s who we know for sure is either returning or joining the cast in Season 5.Anson Mount as Captain/Fleet Captain Christoper PikePaul Wesley as Commander/Captain James T. KirkEthan Peck as Commander/Lt. SpockCelia Rose Gooding as Ensing/Lt. UhuraJess Bush as Nurse Christine ChapelRebecca Romijn as Commander Una “Number One” Chin-RileyMartin Quinn as Montgomery “Scotty” ScottBabs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-SinghMelissa Navia as Erica OrtegasKai Murakami as Hikaru SuluThomas Jane as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoyWhile Sulu and Bones did not appear in the Season 4 finale, “Tomorrow’s Enterprise,” the future version of Uhura did mention the existence of Bones on the Enterprise, and the fact that M’Benga was taking leave on Vulcan. This suggests that at this point, Bones and Dr. Boyce work together managing sickbay, and as hardcore fans know, Dr. Piper, from “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” is somewhere in the mix there, too. On the subject of how many medical officers the Enterprise had before Bones became the primary physician, Akiva Goldsman jokes that: “There was a certain number of medical officers before they became like drummers in Spinal Tap.”Of note, actors Kai Murakami and Thomas Jane were confirmed to be playing Sulu and Bones way back in December 2025.Also, although not publicly confirmed, it is possible that James Frain could return as Spock’s father, Sarek. Frain appeared as Sarek in Star Trek: Discovery, but hasn’t returned to the franchise since Season 2 of that series in 2019, which first introduced Pike, Spock, and Number One as played by Mount, Peck, and Romijn. That said, Mia Kirshner, who has played Spock’s mother Amanda since Discovery, and who appeared in SNW in Season 2 in 2023, could also, in theory, return. And, while we’re on the Spock train, Gia Sandhu could also return as T’Pring in Season 5, though we did see her twice in Season 4.From a canon point of view, it’s also possible that Cillian O'Sullivan could return as Dr. Roger Korby. Meanwhile, Adrian Holmes as Admiral Robert April seems like a lock for Season 5, since it makes sense that he’ll be part of Kirk’s promotion to captain, and Pike’s decision to become Fleet Captain and leave the Enterprise.Strange New Worlds streams on Paramount+.Phasers on Stun!: How the Making — and Remaking — of Star Trek Changed the WorldAmazon -