Thomas Jane Cast in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Final Season in Legendary Role

Two familiar Star Trek characters are returning for the final season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+.

Actor Thomas Jane, known for The Expanse, will step into the role of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy from the Original Series. Alongside him, newcomer Kai Murakami will portray Hikaru Sulu. Both actors are set to appear in the last episode of the upcoming fifth season, which recently finished filming.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is part of the expanded Star Trek universe created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet.

The show debuted on Paramount+ in May 2022 and is the 11th series in the franchise. It follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the 23rd century, exploring events that happen a decade before the original Star Trek series.

The main cast includes Anson Mount as Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One, all reprising roles that originally appeared in The Original Series. According to the creators, the positive fan response to these actors on Star Trek: Discovery led to the development of Strange New Worlds.

The show began development in 2020 and was officially ordered in May of that year, with Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serving as showrunners. Additional cast members include Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Bruce Horak, and Martin Quinn, some playing younger versions of Original Series characters.

The series is produced by CBS Studios alongside Secret Hideout, Weed Road Pictures, H M R X Productions, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Filming takes place at CBS Stages Canada in Mississauga, Ontario. Unlike the more serialized storytelling of Discovery, Strange New Worlds uses an episodic format similar to The Original Series, which has been praised by fans and critics alike.

The show has released multiple seasons since its premiere. The first season aired in 2022, the second in 2023, and the third this year. A fourth season is expected in 2026, and the upcoming fifth season will be the series’ final, with a shorter six-episode order. The series has received positive reviews for its episodic approach, strong cast performances, and high audience engagement. It has also earned two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy nominations and two Saturn Awards.

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