Starfleet enlists The Fly director David Cronenberg in tense Star Trek: Discovery clip

For movie fans of horror classics like The Fly (1981) and Scanners (1986), a familiar face will come as a welcome surprise in the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery. In Season 3, Episode 5, "Die Trying," Emperor Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) is debriefed by a mysterious new Starfleet official played by famous film director David Cronenberg. 

This cameo probably comes as surprise for most fans, and for those who love Cronenberg's work, his unique style and matter-of-fact delivery is not only exciting but propulsive, too. That's because Cronenberg's new character (who has yet to be named) seems to actually change the storyline. 

Check it out below:

In the episode, after the USS Discovery finds the new version of Starfleet Headquarters, the entire crew is required to undergo rigorous debriefing to make sure their story about coming from another time period matches up. Of course, as Discovery fans know, Yeoh's Georgiou is not only from a different time period, but also from a parallel universe. 

At the beginning of Georgiou's debriefing, two holograms ask her questions about her nature as a Terran — a human from the Mirror Universe. But, the person who really seems to be in charge of the holos is Cronenberg's new, shadowy character. What does he know about the Mirror Universe? Is he from the regular Star Trek timeline?

This scene introduces a whole new element into Discovery Season 3, and for longtime fans of both Star Trek and David Cronenberg, means something is probably coming that nobody could have predicted. What's your theory on Cronenberg's Discovery cameo? Will he return? And what does this mean for Georgiou? 

This week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery, “Die Trying,” is now airing on CBS All Access. And for those of you looking for more Cronenberg in front of the camera, he'll soon be seen on the fourth season of Shudder's anthology horror series Slasher.