Star Trek: Discovery's characters could continue in the wider Star Trek universe, says showrunner

Star Trek Discovery
(Image credit: Paramount)

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 may be the end of the road for the spin-off, but co-showrunner Michelle Paradise tells SFX magazine the characters could be back again.

In our new issue, which features the show on the cover, she opens up on her plans for the final season, and what could be next in the Star Trek universe. Asked if there’s an opportunity for Discovery to live on in another format other than a series, she replies: "I think that’s all up to Alex [Kurtzman, co-creator], and [Kurtzman’s production company] Secret Hideout and CBS Studios and Paramount Plus."

However, she adds: "Spoiler alert: all of our heroes don’t die at the end. So they live on. We have this timeframe. We have these wonderful characters, and I mean, who knows? If they wanted to do that, and if the actors wanted to do it, I think that’s certainly a possibility. There are so many wonderful stories that we have told, and so many other stories that we could tell if there’s a desire to do that."

Star Trek Discovery season 5 sees Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery crew sent on a cross-galaxy mission to uncover an ancient mystery. Per the official synopsis, this will see the crew trying to find “an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries."

Paradise is keen to add that despite the potential for more from these characters, the end will hopefully feature some denouement for viewers. "I also feel like, if this were truly the end of Discovery and these characters, that the end of season five will feel very satisfying for what it is," she continues. 

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Star Trek: Discovery is on Paramount Plus from April 4. The above is just a snippet from our interview, available in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Star Trek: Discovery season 5 on the cover and is available on newsstands from Wednesday, March 20. 

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Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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