MOVIE NEWS – A familiar face from The Punisher is heading into the Star Trek universe, taking on one of the franchise’s most iconic roles in the finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The casting serves as a bridge between the prequel series and the classic era.
Thomas Jane, best known for his role in The Punisher, is boldly going where others have gone before by stepping into the role of Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the series finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Joining him is Kai Murakami as Hikaru Sulu. Season 4 of the show is expected to premiere in 2026, with Season 5 set to serve as the definitive farewell. Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set prior to the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, the narrative has largely avoided overt callbacks, making these castings a meaningful connection to the classic timeline.
The casting news was first reported by Variety. DeForest Kelley originated the role of Bones in Star Trek and continued portraying the character into the 1990s. Karl Urban later took over the role in 2009’s Star Trek reboot, making Jane the third actor to portray McCoy in live action. Sulu has followed a similar path, first played by George Takei, then by John Cho in the reboot films, and now by Murakami.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuted in 2022 as the franchise’s eleventh television series, expanding the universe created by Gene Roddenberry. Developed as a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, the show features Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, a foundational figure in Trek lore. Pike originally led the first pilot of Star Trek before the concept shifted to focus on William Shatner’s Captain Kirk.
Star Trek is currently enjoying a renaissance thanks to Paramount+, following renewed interest sparked by J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek film trilogy. After a 12-year gap in television, Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017 and reignited the franchise on the small screen.
Since then, fans have been treated to Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and animated entries like Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Earlier this year, the streaming-exclusive film Star Trek: Section 31 also expanded the universe.
Despite the busy television slate, there hasn’t been a theatrical release since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Various filmmakers have been linked to future projects, with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley currently attached to develop the next feature film.
Forrás: MovieWeb
