Strange New Worlds star explains why both new and old Star Trek fans will love the spinoff

Anson Mount as Captain Pike in Star Trek Strange New Worlds
(Image credit: CBS/Paramount+)

Strange New Worlds’ more traditional story structure is going to appeal to both hardcore Star Trek veterans and new fans alike, says spinoff star Anson Mount.

Mount, who is set to reprise his role as Captain Pike in the 2022 Paramount Plus series, clarified to SyFy that a recent tweet where he teased that "old school fans are going to VERY excited to see what we’re trying to pull off with this one," was only referring to a specific episode. The larger series will be far more inclusive to potential Trekkies-in-waiting.

"But I do think the spirit of our show is in its title," Mount said. "We're going back to the big idea of the week, the new planet of the week. I think that in itself is going to be exciting for old school fans, as well as new ones."

If Mount’s words ring true, that marriage of old-school characters and old-school ‘X of the week’ storytelling being brought forward to modern television could be a prosperous one.

For the uninitiated, Strange New Worlds is a Star Trek spinoff set before the events of the Original Series that sees Anson Mount’s Captain Pike return from Star Trek Discovery alongside Spock (Ethan Peck) and his Number One (Rebecca Romjin).

Elsewhere, Star Trek’s future on television is looking equally as exciting. A Q-infused Picard season 2 is coming in February 2022, while Star Trek Discovery season 4 is set for release on November 18.

Need more reasons to set sail for Strange New Worlds? Here’s why the spinoff is what the world needs right now.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.