Leaked Clip Gives Fans Their First Glimpse Of An Upcoming 'Star Trek' Crossover

Image: Paramount+.

MAY 17, 2023 - Star Trek fans were abuzz on the internet Tuesday as a video clip showing scenes from Strange New Worlds’ upcoming second season made its way online. 

Canadian streamer Crave posted the clip to YouTube and its contents were quickly reported by a number of news outlets. The most exciting part was a brief glimpse of live-action versions of Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner, the characters from the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. The appearance of the characters, played by Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome, was announced at last year’s Comic Con, but details about the how and why have been tightly guarded.

Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Noonien-Sing (Christina Chong), Pike (Anson Mount), and Boiler (Jack Quaid) are greeted in the transporter room by Spock (Ethan Peck) in a clip from STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS’ upcoming crossover episode.

In the scene, Lt. Spock (played by Ethan Peck) stands in a transporter room aboard the Enterprise as four figures beam in. As they materialize, we see Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) along with Boimler and Mariner.

Although there was no announcement, it appears the release of the clip was not authorized as it was taken down a few hours after it appeared. Fortunately for fans, hungry for details, screenshots of the scene were captured before the clip disappeared.

The leaked clip actually wasn’t the first time fans had a chance to see Quaid and Newsome dressed as their cartoon counterparts. The pair, along with several other members of the cast appeared in costume for a panel discussion at Star Trek: Mission Chicago in 2022. However, those costumes were more Spirit of Halloween than camera ready.

While the video may be gone, there are some additional details finally emerging. In the last issue of SFX Magazine, released on Wednesday, May 17, co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman gives up some information on the upcoming crossover episode:

We had a really good time doing that and got to work with our extended family from the other show, both on camera and off. And of course Jonathan Frakes directed it. So in many ways it’s a Star Trek melting pot, that episode. And there are more, but far be it for me to spoil…

Part of the Star Trek melting pot comes from the fact that there are writers who have worked on both Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks. Goldsman added:

We have some writers who have been on Lower Decks, we would write these Strange New Worlds sections and try to put them together and you couldn’t exactly, It had to find the tone of the episode that was sort of both things, rather than let it be exactly Lower Decks in tone or exactly Strange New Worlds. It was easier with Strange New Worlds in a weird way, because we jump around town so much. It was fun, but sort of more challenging, I think, than we thought setting out.