Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the next big franchise tentpole coming in 2022, and there’s a lot of hype surrounding the Paramount+ debut. Part of the excitement stems from fans who can't wait for a return of episodic storytelling in this universe, as well as its obvious roots in Star Trek: The Original Series. Of course, there’s also an audience of fans who have plenty of questions regarding Strange New Worlds, how it may further change franchise norms, and if it will diverge from TOS canon in any way. Stars Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn both grew up watching the original series and had some thoughts for the crowd wondering about any upcoming changes to canon or otherwise.
Anson Mount, who Paramount+ subscribers will soon see back in action as Captain Christopher Pike, first learned about Star Trek from his mother and tuned in regularly in his youth. There’s no denying that he has a lot of passion for the franchise and his position as Captain of the Enterprise. I asked Mount what he might have to say to classic fans who won’t see Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as something they feel honors the franchise, and he expressed he doesn’t feel that won’t be the case.
I don’t know, there’s plenty of TV out there now [laughs]. Look, at the end of the day, you gotta follow your gut and do the best job you know how to do. I’m rarely bullish on these things, and I’m kind of bullish on [Strange New Worlds] in the sense that I think more people than not are going to appreciate what we have taken from both canon and the original series. Stylistically and content-wise, and in the spirit of Trek. Really bearing down on the sense of adventure, of optimistic fun, and you know, I think is one thing that we’ve managed to do. That is the reason I tuned into Star Trek every week when I was a kid is that sense of excitement you got even as you’re turning on the TV because not only did you not know where the Enterprise would end up, you didn’t know where the Enterprise would begin. I can confidently say that we have [done that.] You know, it’s called Strange New Worlds for a reason.
In short, Anson Mount is a classic fan of The Original Series who feels like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delivered on the important things to capture when it comes to the original series. Sure, aesthetic changes and themes in line with modern television will pop up, but Mount (who intends to stick around the series despite James Kirk's arrival) is confident that the bones of what made the original series so great are found in the Strange New Worlds.
Rebecca Romijn also learned about Star Trek from her mother, and while she didn’t see Number One on her television screen growing up (the character was only featured in the scrapped pilot), she still was a great fan of the show. Romijn acknowledged that while Strange New Worlds isn’t a beat-for-beat recreation of the original Trek’s tone, she touched on the ways that it still is.
It’s not the exact same show as the original series, but we are trying to embrace the original series in tone. The original series was sort of utopian, you know, and we are going for a little bit of levity. We’re going for some optimism, which I think we can all use right now with the state of the world. I think the standalone episodes are gonna be a fun opportunity to tell a new story, hopefully, with an important message, some sort of takeaway at the end, [or] something that sparks conversation, It’s got all of that. The funny bits are gonna be funny, the sexy bits are gonna be sexy, the horrific bits are gonna be horrific, just like the original series. And then you’ve got the Enterprise which is a character unto itself which is also gorgeous, beautifully designed mid-century modern. Our sets are so beautiful. It’s groovy, it’s sexy, it’s like the original. It’s not gonna be exactly like the original series, but we’re aiming for a tone that’s similar to the original series. It’s not going to be identical.
Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn can only say so much to those curious and inquisitive classic TOS fans, but hopefully, their insight will help as the wait continues for Strange New Worlds. Thankfully, the wait for the series isn’t too far off. Soon enough, we’ll have more adventures with Ethan Peck’s Spock, Uhura, and plenty of other classic characters.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, May 5. Even casual sci-fi fans might be interested in joining up for this one, so be sure to mark your calendars and let others know now might be the time to jump back in.
