Star Trek Strange New Worlds is bringing back two very familiar characters. Dr Leonard Bones McCoy and Hikaru Sulu will appear in the fifth and final season.
The show is a prequel. It takes place years before the original Star Trek series. The story follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they go on risky and unpredictable missions.
The series already includes younger versions of many classic characters. Fans have seen Spock. They have seen Uhura. Kirk is there too. Scotty has also joined the crew.
Now the picture is almost complete. Bones and Sulu will finally arrive in season 5. Bones will be played by Thomas Jane. Sulu will be played by Kai Murakami.
Thomas Jane is a well known Hollywood actor. He played The Punisher in Marvel films. He also starred in the HBO series Hung. Star Trek fans may remember him from The Expanse.
He steps into the role of Bones after DeForest Kelley, who played the character in the original show. Karl Urban later played Bones in the modern Star Trek movies.
Kai Murakami is new to television. Strange New Worlds will be his first TV role. He has a strong theatre background and has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was part of their popular stage version of My Neighbour Totoro.
Sulu was originally played by George Takei. John Cho later took on the role in the recent Star Trek films. Takei has also returned to the character in an audio drama.
Reports say that Bones and Sulu will only appear in the final episode of season 5. This could mean the show is leading straight into The Original Series. It may show Pike stepping aside and handing command to Kirk.
Seasons 4 and 5 were filmed back to back. The final scenes were completed earlier this month. Season 4 is expected in 2026. Season 5 may arrive in 2027. Exact dates have not been announced yet.
