Star Trek: Discovery EP Expects Michael Burnham's Unique Story To Spark Debate Among Fans

After over a decade away, Star Trek is returning to television with Star Trek: Discovery. Or at least its returning to the serialized television format. The show will actually stream online via CBS All Access.

Despite the modern distribution model, executive producer Alex Kurtzman says the new series' story will be in the spirit of the Star Trek series that have come before.

"The story that we have for season one is really interesting and special and pays tribute to a lot of what Trek has done and in many ways is actually doing it in a new way," Kurtzman tells CNET. "To have Sonequa [Martin- Green] and Michelle [Yeoh] as captains of our ship is really, really exciting and different."

While the series may be following in its predecessors' footsteps, Kurtzman believes the show's leads will bring some special to the franchise that hasn't been seen before.

"I love stories that are based around strong women and we have some strong women on that show," he says. "Having Sonequa – she is a very, very special actress – is bringing a flavor to the character which I haven't really seen in Trek and that is really exciting. Her story is very unique and draws on some really interesting things in Trek lore. I think fans will both, appreciate, and I'm certain, it will be a cause of much debate."

Set 10 years prior to the five-year mission of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery follows the adventures of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship, new characters, and new missions while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Star Trek: Discovery's cast also includes Jason Isaacs as the starship Discovery's Captain Lorca, Rainn Wilson as Star Trek: The Original Series character Harry Mudd, James Frain as Sarek, Spock's father, and Michelle Yeoh as Captain Georgiou, the captain of another Starfleet ship, the Shenzhou, which will be important to the plot of Star Trek: Discovery. Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp both play science officers. Mary Wiseman will play a final year Starfleet Academy cadet.

Star Trek: Discovery was created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Fuller was originally intended to be Discovery's showrunner but was forced step down due to commitments to Starz' adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts have taken over as showrunners.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres Sept. 24, 2017.

More Star Trek News: Star Trek: Discovery Showrunners Reveals Plot Details / Spider-Man: Homecoming Has A Star Trek Easter Egg / Star Trek: The Next Generation Mirror Broken Introduces Mirror Universe Riker / Star Trek: The Next Generation Gets Two Epic 30th Anniversary Posters