Strange New Worlds season 4 beams in genre swings and puppets

The Enterprise is getting turned into puppets in season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the cast says the bit is more than a gag.

At a 92NY event in New York on Tuesday, co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman joined stars Anson Mount, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Carol Kane to preview the new Paramount+ season, which premieres July 23 with weekly episodes.

Goldsman said the season keeps pushing the show through different storytelling styles, a signature move for a series that has already staged a musical episode in season 2. After fans at the event saw an early look at the season 4 premiere, he described the show as moving between classic Star Trek science-fiction tension and episodes built around genre play.

For Goldsman, those genre shifts are part of the title’s promise. He said the “strange new worlds” are not only planets, but the formats the show uses to tell stories that Star Trek has not often attempted.

Mount, who plays Capt. Pike, said Goldsman and fellow showrunner Henry Alonso Myers had asked cast members what kinds of stories they had wanted to perform, then found ways to put those wishes onscreen. Goldsman said the process became a test of how far the cast could be pushed, with everyone willing to try.

The puppet episode is real

The wildest swing already on the books is an episode that transforms the Enterprise crew into puppets. The puppets were made by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, according to the show’s team.

Gooding, who plays Ensign Uhura, said working with puppets from that studio felt meaningful because she grew up with its creations. She called the episode odd and playful, while also saying it has seriousness and warmth.

The panel also joked that making Carol Kane’s Pelia into a puppet was largely unnecessary, a nod to Kane’s offbeat energy as the ship’s engineer.

Kane, who said when she joined the series that she had not watched prior Star Trek shows or films, said at 92NY that she has now seen some of the franchise. She said she has watched enough to understand why she feels fortunate to be part of it.

Kane added that viewers care about the franchise’s stories because hope sits underneath them. In her view, that foundation matters in a modern world where hope can feel difficult to hold onto.

Pike and Uhura, between old canon and new story

Mount and Gooding also addressed the challenge of playing characters whose futures are already known to Star Trek fans.

Mount said Pike is unusual because the franchise established parts of his beginning and end, while leaving room in the middle. He said filling in that middle stretch has been a major part of the fun.

Gooding again acknowledged Nichelle Nichols, who originated Uhura in the original series and later films. Gooding said viewers know who Uhura becomes, while the younger version on Strange New Worlds is still discovering that path.

During audience questions, Navia, who plays Lt. Ortegas, said she would like to see more aviation and exploration in the world. She said the role has led her to meet pilots, people inspired to fly by the show and members of the space community, including work connected to NASA.

Navia also referenced astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor, whom she described as a friend, saying Proctor often says solving problems for space helps solve problems on Earth.

Gooding said she wants more joyful curiosity in everyday life, pointing to Uhura’s ability to meet the unknown with openness rather than fear.

Goldsman gave only a brief hint about the already announced fifth and final season. He said it offers fans a more unified and complete farewell to the series.

This story draws on original reporting from Variety.