Inside Season Three with the Cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Season Two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds left the audience with an explosive cliffhanger as the threat of the Gorn is raising the stakes for the Enterprise crew and the galaxy as a whole. After two years, fans all over the world will finally experience the conclusion of Hegemony and the continuation of the Enterprise’s five-year mission, with Season Three bringing deeper character development and wildly fun storytelling. In an exclusive roundtable, the cast of Strange New Worlds–Martin Quinn, Jess Bush, Babs Olusanmokun, Melissa Navia, Celia Rose Gooding, and Rebecca Romijn were present to reflect on their character journeys and their experience filming the upcoming new season.

Martin Quinn on the Return of Scotty

Arguably the most anticipated character of Strange New Worlds Season Three is Montgomery “Scotty” Scott. Canadian actor James Doohan left an incredible legacy for the iconic role, which Martin Quinn picked up with a level of authenticity that only a true Scotsman could have brought. The actor confessed at first he was worried about losing his Scottish accent while being around set with Americans and Canadians–something he recalled already happened while working at a youth camp in Massachusetts. “I really wanted to bring that authenticity, and sometimes I go too far. I don’t know if people will be able to understand me!” He added, “I think the writing holds up with trying to keep true to the old Scotty … I don’t need to worry too much about that.”

Although Scotty eventually becomes the chief engineer of the Enterprise, his role in this new season of Strange New Worlds is one of a younger officer under the over scrutinizing supervision of Pelia (played by Carol Kane). “I think he finds it so annoying that he’s not able to spread his wings. He can’t ever be his own person, she’s breathing down his neck all the time and always very critical of him, which is frustrating, but, you know, there are lessons for him to learn and maybe he should kind of listen up,” Quinn explained.

Jess Bush on How New Experiences and Relationships are Changing Chapel

During the previous season, Christine Chapel and Spock finally opened up to each other, a new romance that was complicated since its inception. Bush explained that having a relationship with one of the biggest characters in pop culture has to be approached with a little bit of willful ignorance, to not let the pressure shape their connection and instead “just connect to the intimate humanity of it and stay with that because that’s where you’re going to get the truthful version of that story unfolding.”

In Season Three, the character’s new experiences and new relationships will push her to “really step up to the plate and lead in certain situations, to think on her feet and come up with solutions to some pretty intense problems. I love that for her. I think it shows a side of her that’s quite strong and commanding that we maybe haven’t seen before.” Jess Bush added, “She also gets to venture off out of sick bay quite a bit … you get to see her explorer side, which is really cool.”

Babs Olusanmokun on M’Benga’s Dark Passenger

Doctor Joseph M’Benga’s ability to be both a healer and a warrior is what makes the character so fascinating. Every time Olusanmokun is on screen, you can feel both dark and light energy, this shift of inner balance through the subtlety of his performance. The actor revealed that there will be a constant internal fight within M’Benga in Season Three: “He’s going to be looking for the lighter side of things, even with the weight of the dark behind him. I don’t know that that’s a fight he’s going to win, but he’s going to try and have fun on some of these away missions that he will be caught up in.”

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.” With this quote from renowned Russian actor and director Constantin Stanislavski, Babs Olusanmokun explained how he is able to channel his performance into such a tormented character, saying that humanity is the key to really connecting with the audience: “The Doctor is a vulnerable man that is really just trying to be the best that he can be.”

Melissa Navia and Celia Rose Gooding on Ortegas and Uhura’s Friendship

The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduces Erica Ortegas’ younger brother–an interesting addition to the crew that brings new character dynamics between the siblings and Uhura. Melissa Navia shared her excitement for her fictional brother Beto (played by Mynor Luken): “I just had a blast with it because I have three amazing sisters … to have a family member added to our crew for this season is a joy. We’re going to explore some of their Latin backgrounds … I’m excited for fans to see that.” On the other hand, Celia Rose Gooding can’t wait for everyone to see Uhura’s romantic side while also discover how her friendship with Navia bleeds into their characters. She said, “They take care of each other in a really, really sweet way and both of those characters are so deserving … I don’t think they recognize it until they feel it. It’s really awesome to play opposite of her while telling that story.”

Rebecca Romijn on Una Chin-Riley’s Leadership

Last season on Strange New Worlds, Una’s biggest secret was revealed in Ad Astra per Aspera. As a member of the Illyrian species, Chin-Riley was genetically-engineered before birth, something that was illegal due to the Federation’s ban on genetic engineering. After winning her rights to still be a part of Starfleet, the audience will see a freer, lighter version of Una in Season Three–becoming the leader she was always meant to be. “There’s several times where she has to take over for Pike, so we get to see who Una would be as captain. Probably fair, very connected to her crew, but also always correct and on the right side of history while doing what we always do on Star Trek, which is bending the rules for the greater good,” Romijn explained.

Playing a character that was created over 60 years ago that never got fleshed out until her portrayal is something that Rebecca Romijn is very proud of. Every season she is able to step into Number One through the artistry of the hair, makeup, and costume departments to experiment with new looks for the character: “It’s been really fun, and I’m grateful for the amount of freedom and trust that our producers put into me and our wonderful talented hair and makeup departments to play within the realm of our show. I really try to consider the retro side of the Enterprise and embrace the fact that The Original Series was filmed in the late 60s … I try to keep a little bit of that nostalgia in with Una and the choices we make for the look of the character.” Rebecca Romijn added, “Our costume department is also supremely talented, [especially] when we have to wear things other than our uniforms, which are perfectly tailored. Sometimes we wear dresses and gowns that are made by Alexander McQueen’s dressmakers. I mean, they really have top-notch people creating the most beautiful looks for us. Everyone is so talented, so it’s an honor to work with [them].”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back with exciting, new missions and unforgettable character moments. Season Three premieres July 17, 2025 on Paramount+.