Star Trek: Prodigy was one of the most exciting shows of the new era of the franchise, especially given its ties to the legacy series Voyager and its characters. Unfortunately, Season 2 will not release over at Paramount+, as it's been cancelled, and there's even worse news still. Even if you have a Paramount+ subscription, you won't even be able to watch Prodigy for too much longer as it and other shows are being removed.
The animated series, which featured actress Kate Mulgrew's return to the franchise as Kathryn Janeway, was among four shows cancelled by Paramount+, all of which will be removed from the service. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, Queen of the Universe and The Game were all chopped, according to Variety. It was noted that all four shows will be removed in the coming days and that Paramount+'s decision was allegedly data-driven. Prodigy was originally renewed for Season 2 and set to premiere in the winter after other upcoming Trek shows.
As for whether or not Season 2 will release, that depends on whether or not CBS can shop the series to a willing buyer to release it. A joint tweet from showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman talked about the situation but remained optimistic that Season 2 will see the light of day:
[Star Trek] has taught my brother and me to strive for a better future. While news of [Star Trek Prodigy] not returning to Paramount+ is disappointing, we have faith this show will be picked up by a new home to help grow our fervent fanbase and inspire the next generation of Star Trek fans. Our talented and passionate team of artists are working tirelessly to complete S2 and we are staying positive and hopeful that our amazing fans will get to see it soon! Janeway would never give up, so why would we? Let’s follow her orders and ‘Go Boldly.’
Star Trek: Prodigy finding a new home would ensure that Season 2 will be available to fans, even if it isn't on Paramount+. What's unknown, however, is what this would mean for the future of the series beyond the second batch of episodes. Is it possible, for example, that the show could continue beyond Season 2 on another network or platform?
Paramount+ has been the home of Star Trek, though we've seen the movies jump off the platform and move from service to service in recent years. Perhaps, in this era where original shows are being cancelled frequently, it's possible Prodigy could live on at another service and still release new episodes. We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose, and keep the optimism that the show's crew currently has that it'll be picked up.
This is the second major cancellation for the Star Trek franchise this year, as it was announced Discovery will end after its upcoming Season 5. Though Discovery was also already on the schedule when its cancellation was announced, Paramount+ explained the release date would be pushed back and additional resources were used to allow for the series to film a proper conclusion. Given the situation with Prodigy, the series is not guaranteed a proper ending, even if it finds a home to stream Season 2.
For now, Star Trek: Prodigy is available to stream over on Paramount+. It will be interesting to see how much longer it will remain on the streamer and how long fans will have to wait for news of whether Season 2 will see the light of day.
