NYCC: First look at ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ season 2, returning in March with the arrival of Bill Nighy – TrekMovie.com

Today at New York Comic Con, fans got their first look at the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. We have footage from season two, as well as casting news for the series, which returns to Paramount+ next year.

SFA S2 adds cast and returns in March 2027

The Star Trek Universe event on the Empire Stage at NYCC 2026 was split into two parts, with the kickoff focused on Starfleet Academy. On stage were series star Holly Hunter, as well as actors Sandro Rosta, Bella Shepard, Karim Diané and Robert Picardo, as well as co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau. News from the panel includes the reveal that the 10-episode second (and final) season will debut in March 2027 on Paramount+, although they didn’t specify when exactly.

We also got casting news. It has been revealed that Oscar nominee Bill Nighy (Life, Pirates of the Caribbean) will guest star in the upcoming season, in the role of Nyk Ake, the ex-father of Captain Nahla Ake. We also got our first look at Nighy in Starfleet Academy, with two new photos.

Bill Nighy as Nyk in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

From left to right: Robert Picardo as the Doctor and Bill Nighy as Nyk in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Rosemarie DeWitt (Guest Star) also joins season 2 (Savage, The staircase), playing Tarima’s mother, Laytha Sadal, the First Lady of Betazed. And we also got our first look at DeWitt in S2, along with two more photos.

From left: Zoë Steiner as Tarima and Rosemarie DeWitt as Laytha Sadal in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Rosemarie DeWitt as Laytha Sadal in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

And, in case you missed it, at SDCC 2026 in July, Paramount revealed that British actor Ruaridh Aldington is joining Season 2 as a series regular in the role of Keats, a “young alien our cadets meet on an overseas mission who has a mysterious backstory.”

Ruaridh Aldington as Keats in Season 2, Episode 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Jackie Brown/Paramount+

Summary and photos of S2

Here is the official synopsis sent out today for the new season:

The second season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy follows our cadets in their second year aboard the USS Athena. There, their ideals of leadership, friendship, romance, and morality are tested as they navigate budding rivalries, fragile diplomatic negotiations, a fiercely competitive school tournament, and the arrival of a mysterious new cadet whose existence raises questions that could have consequences far beyond the classroom.

The NYCC audience got to see a clip from Season 2, which was exclusive to NYCC and is not airing, at least for today. But Paramount sent us more photos from the upcoming season…

Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake in Season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

From left: Sandro Rosta as Caleb, Kerrice Brooks as SAM and Karim Diané as Jay-Den in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Paramount+

From left: Romeo Carere as Ocam and Sandro Rosta as Caleb in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Jackie Brown/Paramount+

From left: Sandro Rosta as Caleb and George Hawkins as Darem in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: John Medland/Paramount+

Bella Shepard as Genesis in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Paramount+

From left: Sandro Rosta as Caleb and Bella Shepard as Genesis in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Paramount+

From left: Bella Shepard as Genesis and Zoë Steiner as Tarima in season 2 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo credit: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Paramount+

More Trek&NYCC26

New York Comic Con is still happening and TrekMovie is there. We’ll hear more from the Star Trek Universe panel, which continued with a special clip presentation and conversation with Trek legend William Shatner, moderated by actor and filmmaker (and Trek superfan) Ben Stiller, discussing memorable behind-the-scenes stories from some of Kirk’s most iconic on-screen moments.

Check out our NYCC category for more of our coverage, including new toys and comics announced this week, plus a new documentary. We have more to come, including red carpet interviews at the New York premiere of Star Trek Sixty Year Mission documentary.

TrekMovie’s Laurie Ulster interviewing Brent Spiner and William Shatner at the Sixty-Year Mission NYC event