Star Trek 2022: Everything Fans Can Look Forward to in the New Year

Returning Star Trek Shows

The most obvious thing for Star Trek fans to look forward to is new or continuing seasons of the Star Trek shows they've been following in recent years. Star Trek: Prodigy is currently releasing the second half of its first season. It returned from hiatus with one heck of an episode, paying tribute to some of the greats of Star Trek history. It'll continue to debut new episodes on Thursdays throughout January.

Star Trek: Discovery went on break at the end of 2021, leaving fans with a cliffhanger as Book went rogue. The series returns with the remainder of its fourth season in February.

Star Trek: Picard also returns in February. The series sees Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The new season reunites Picard with Q (John de Lancie) and sends him on an adventure through time.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is also returning in 2022 for its third season. The animated comedy for adults ended its second season on a cliffhanger, with Starfleet arresting the Cerritos' captain.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the next show to join the ranks of Parmaount+'s streaming Star Trek catalog. Star Trek: Discovery's second season introduced Anson Mount as Capt. Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One. They proved popular enough for fans to mount an online campaign to see them get a spinoff.

Fans got their wish. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes place aboard the USS Enterprise in the year immediately before James T. Kirk takes command. In addition to these characters, the show includes several new characters in its crew and returning favorites played by new actors. Strange New Worlds' creators have said the series will have a more episodic pace than other modern Star Trek shows.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Edition 4k Update

Robert Wise's original vision for the first Star Trek movie is getting a 4k upgrade. A team of the same people who worked alongside Wise during the film's original production is remastering Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Edition in ultra-high-definition. Originally released on DVD, The Director's Edition allowed Wise to put his finishing touches on The Motion Picture, which he couldn't do in time for its theatrical release. The Director's Edition never made it to Blu-ray HD but will now be updated in 4k for release on Paramount+ this year.

The Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection included the theatrical cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 4k for the first time in 2021, along with the three films in the "Genesis trilogy." While there's no official news yet, we're hoping 2022 also brings a second 4k Star Trek movie box set to bring more of Star Trek's cinematic adventures in the format.

Star Trek: Resurgence

Some of the best Star Trek games ever have been adventures games. Telltale Games made some of the best adventure games ever. It's easy then to do the math and see why a Star Trek adventure game made by former Telltale employees is exciting. Star Trek: Resurgence gives players control of two Starfleet officers serving aboard the USS Resolute. Set shortly after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, the Star Trek universe depicted within the game should be familiar to longtime fans. Spock is just one familiar face appearing in the game's story.

For those more into online, mobile, or classic games, there should be plenty of Star Trek content for you to enjoy in 2022 as well. Star Trek Online puts out new chapters regularly, and 2022 should be no different. Star Trek has some of the best franchise-based mobile games in Star Trek Fleet Command, Star Trek Timelines, and the Apple Arcade exclusive Star Trek Legends regularly updating with new content. For those who are into the classic, GOG.com added several previously unavailable Star Trek favorites to its catalog in 2021.

Star Trek: Voyager Documentary

The COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately marred Star Trek: Voyager's 25th anniversary. However, the show will still get its due in the upcoming documentary To The Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager. The documentary hails from the same studio that produced the Star Trek documentaries For the Love of Spock and What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The project broke crowdfunding records with its Indiegogo campaign, and it'll debut this year.

To the Journey promises to give fans a first-hand account of Star Trek: Voyager's production from the stars and creatives who lived it. Plus, there'll be bloopers and Star Trek: Voyager footage remastered in high definition for the first time. Voyager fans, in particular, won't want to miss this.

Star Trek Comics

IDW Publishing has plenty of Star Trek comics on the way in the coming year for Star Trek fans of any taste. Its current premier project is Star Trek: The Mirror War, a 12-part event chronicling the exploits of the Mirror Universe's Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the ISS Enterprise.

IDW is also bringing back its "Alien Spotlight" series with several one-shots focusing on different fan-favorite Star Trek aliens throughout the year. The first is Star Trek: Klingons from Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the showrunners of the excellent Star Trek: Year Five series. The issue will reveal the origin of the mythical Klingon figure Kahless the Unforgettable.

IDW also recently announced its next Star Trek: Discovery tie-in series, Adventures in the 32nd Century. Each issue of this series will focus on a different Discovery character adjusting to life after Discovery's jump into the future. The first issue will reveal the origin of Grudge the Cat.

IDW also has plans to release some new Star Trek collections. The publisher will release a new The Mirror Universe Saga trade paperback in March. The collection reprints the fan-favorite Star Trek comic book storyline from when DC Comics had the license in the 1980s.

Star Trek: Mission Chicago

A brand new line of officially sanctioned Star Trek conventions will launch this year (COVID willing). Star Trek: Mission Chicago, operated by ReedPop, the same company behind New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration, promises to be the premier Star Trek gathering of the year and the first of many to come.

Star Trek: Mission Chicago will feature past and present Star Trek stars. The current guest list includes Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Prodigy), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker on Star Trek: Picard), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets on Star Trek: Discovery), Nana Visitor (Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Doug Jones (Saru on Star Trek: Discovery).

ReedPop will add more guests will as the event draws closer. You can find more information at the event's official website.

Star Trek Books

The new year will bring with it several new Star Wars books. The biggest one currently on the schedule is the next Pocket Books Star Trek: Picard tie-in novel. Second Self -- written by Una McCormack, who wrote the first Picard novel, The Last Best Hope -- focuses on Raffi Musiker, the former Starfleet intelligence officer who restored her reputation in Picard's first season.

There's non-fiction to look forward to as well. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Nana Visitor writes Star Trek: A Women's Trek, chronicling Star Trek's iconic female characters from Uhura to Burnham. Hero Collector and Titan Books will also have their usual offerings of behind-the-scenes design books and collector's edition releases.

Star Trek Toys and Collectibles

Star Trek wouldn't be a significant franchise if it didn't put out its fair share of collectibles, and 2022 has plenty in store. The biggest story going into this year is that Playmates will release new Star Trek action figures. Anyone who was a Trekkie in the 1990s or watched the "Star Trek" episode of Netflix's The Toys That Made Us knows that Playmates held the Star Trek license for years. The company made many figures based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. This new line reportedly includes characters new and old.

But Playmates isn't the only one putting out quality Star Trek collectibles. The recently launched Exo-6 company is continuing its line of high-end Star Trek figures. Also, Hero Collector will continue expanding its collectible Star Trek starships into the new year. All of this means that 2022 will offer Star Trek collectors plenty to add to their shelves.

First Contact Day, Star Trek Day, and New About the Future

Having already listed most major releases across media for Star Trek in 2022, there's still always the unknown, the unexpected, and the future to consider. Over the past few years, Paramount+ has turned Star Trek Day in September into a celebration during which it reveals trailers and news about Star Trek's current streaming series. In 2021, it added April's First Contact Day as a second day for such festivities. Paramount+ hasn't officially announced plans for either event in 2022 yet, but there's little reason to believe they won't happen.

And what might they reveal or announce during those events? In addition to the usual trailer and casting announcements for upcoming new seasons, we could hear news about the projects still getting behind the scenes, such as Michelle Yeoh's Section 31 series and the rumored Starfleet Academy show. We could even hear information about the next Star Trek movie, scheduled for release in 2023. There's plenty of Star Trek to be excited about in 2022 and beyond.