SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 - Ever since the announcement of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, fans and pundits have had a burning question: would any other legacy characters be joining Pike, Spock and Number One for this prequel series? That question was finally answered with great fanfare and excitement during Wednesday’s Strange New Worlds panel during Star Trek Day 2021. Six new cast members were announced including younger versions of Uhura, Nurse Chapel, and Dr. M’Benga, characters well-known to fans of Star Trek: The Original Series. They will be played by Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, and Babs Olusanmokun, respectively. 

“I am so excited to be stepping into this legacy,” said Gooding of her casting as the Enterprise’s communications officer. Of the opportunity to play a younger version of Chapel, originally played by Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Bush offered, “I feel extremely honored.” Olusanmokun echoed his castmates, saying, “I’m ecstatic. I’m very, very excited.”

The characters were revealed in a video showcasing Strange New World’s cast members, which also introduced three new crewmates on the USS Enterprise: Hemmer, an Aenar (Andorian subspecies) played by Bruce Horak; Lieutenant Erica Ortegas played by Melissa Navia; and La’an Noonien-Singh brought to life by Christina Chong. Chong’s character name announcement was one of the biggest surprises of the night, implying a connection to legendary Trek villain Khan Noonien Singh. 

Event host Wil Wheaton assured fans that the whole Strange New Worlds panel, along with all of the highlights of Star Trek Day 2021, will be posted online in the coming days. Tune in for hints dropped about Spock’s emotional development, stories of how the Enterprise sets gave cast members emotional connection to The Original Series, and Executive Producer Akiva Goldsman’s reflections on how episodic, short-form storytelling helps fulfill the ideals and promise of Star Trek. No release date was given for the series, but it’s likely to be after Star Trek: Picard airs next spring (a February 2022 date for that series was also announced on the day). For now, you can watch Captain Pike and the Enterprise crew in action on season two of Star Trek: Discovery, now streaming on Paramount+.