Star Trek: Discovery teases mysterious new threat for Season 4… and a 2021 premiere date

Through three seasons, Star Trek: Discovery has broken new ground on a number of galactic frontiers in the wider Trek universe, from teasing the possibility of the franchise’s first holographic crew member to, well, putting David Cronenberg in a still-mysterious starring role. Today, Paramount+ said that fans won’t be waiting long to learn what ’s next for recently-minted Cpt. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and company in Season 4 — because it’s premiering on the platform later this year.

Teased as part of Monday’s First Contact Day streaming celebration of all things Star Trek, Discovery treated fans to an early Season 4 trailer that hints at how the crew will unite against a mysterious new threat “unlike any they’ve ever encountered.” A gravitational anomaly that measures five light years across has the eerie ability to show up at any place and at any time — and it doesn’t much care whether you’re sporting a Federation badge.

Take a peek at the Season 4 trailer below:

Introduced by Martin-Green following the “Women In Motion” panel as part of today’s digital First Contact Day event, the clip foreshadows a major theme of the upcoming season: Adversity has a way of bringing people (and non-people) together to overcome a shared crisis. “With Federation and non-Federation worlds alike feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all,” the network teases.

Though the new season didn’t get a firm premiere date, Paramount+ left fans with the parting gift of assuring that it’s on its way this year. Streaming exclusively on Paramount+, Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery features Martin-Green along with Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira), and Ian Alexander (Gray).