‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Cast Shares Their Experience Embarking on Season 2 (Exclusive)

The crew of the USS Enterprise is embarking on new adventures when the highly-anticipated Season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres Thursday, June 15 on Paramount+. Prior to the premiere, PopCulture.com spoke with the cast of Strange New Worlds about taking on a second season after the overwhelming success of its debut and the inspiration behind what’s to come.

Premiering Season 1 to critical and fan acclaim was “so relieving,” Ethan Peck (Spock) told PopCulture, especially being that the cast was already mid-production on Season 2 when it first premiered. “We were well on our way into the second season, and to not know how you’re doing was kind of insane,” he remembered, admitting that when he first saw the first two finalized episodes of Season 1, he was “really taken aback by just the high level of quality that I was suddenly a part of.”

“I [didn’t] know what to expect, because we do our job, we carry the baton for the time that we’re there on set, and you just kind of never know how it’s going to turn out,” he continued. “I’m just so thrilled and excited to be part of an amazing production and team of creatives.” 

As Season 2 was taking shape, Anson Mount (Christopher Pike) noticed a “really great” interchange of ideas taking place between the writers and the cast. “There is this really great thing that happens around Season 2 of a TV show when you’re working with smart writers like we are – you’ll find them starting to come to you a bit because there is a sense of the character you have from the inside that they’re trying to get to from the outside,” he shared with PopCulture. “And conversations about arcs can often lead to really fruitful ideas. They have been very proactive about doing that with us.”

Paul Wesley, who made his first appearance in the Season 1 finale as James T. Kirk to much applause, won’t take any “credit” for the success of Strange New Worlds‘ freshman season but did note how hard it is “to create a version of a show that is so beloved” as the original Star Trek. “I think it’s a huge, huge undertaking,” he told PopCulture. “I think these guys did it so brilliantly. …I’m just grateful to be a part of this fantastic series with these really brilliant actors and brilliant writers, and frankly, more importantly, nice people”

Celia Rose Gooding’s portrayal of Nyota Uhura — a character made famous in the original series by the late Nichelle Nichols — also earned her praise from viewers. Taking on such an important role was not a legacy Gooding takes lightly, especially after Nichols’ death in July 2022. “Everything about what I do is directly because of her, especially on this show,” Gooding told PopCulture. “I didn’t get to meet Nichelle, unfortunately, before she passed, and that is something that sits with me in a different place every day. [But] her impact on not only this franchise but on the entertainment [industry] period, it does not go unnoticed and it does not go unfelt.”

As someone who feels “feels energetically connected to this plane and others,” Gooding shared that she feels Nichols’ presence with her on set. “Not to get too audacious, but I very much feel her with me in how we tell the story of this character,” she added. “And although we did not get to meet in this physical plane, I know our meeting is coming whenever the universe decides, and I’m really looking forward to that.” Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres Thursday, June 15 on Paramount+.