As Star Trek approaches its 60th anniversary in 2026, the franchise finds itself at a critical juncture. The upcoming fourth season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be its last, and the planned Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been cut short after just two seasons. While Paramount has promised more Trek on the big screen, the small-screen future looks increasingly uncertain. But there's one creative veteran who might just have the right mix of experience and resourcefulness to steer the starship through these choppy waters: Terry Matalas.
Matalas is no stranger to the final frontier. He cut his teeth on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise, and has long called The Next Generation one of his all-time favorite shows. His biggest achievement, however, came as showrunner for Seasons 2 and 3 of Star Trek: Picard—the latter of which is widely regarded as one of the best modern Trek entries. But it's not just his storytelling chops that make him the ideal candidate; it's his ability to deliver a hit without breaking the bank.
Making Every Credit Count
Paramount's recent acquisition by Skydance Media has led to sweeping cost-cutting measures across the company. Sets are being dismantled and sold off, and any future Star Trek series will have to operate on a reduced budget. This is where Matalas's experience on Picard becomes invaluable. He famously shot Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back to control costs and streamline cast schedules—a strategy that also shaped the narrative. To bring back the beloved Enterprise-D crew for Season 3, Matalas had to write out the new characters introduced in earlier seasons, a decision he admitted was tough but necessary.
"I think probably it's a bit more difficult to go to the studio and say, 'Great, we're doing this, we need to make deals now with all of these legacy characters, and financially what can we afford and what does that mean for some of the new cast?'" Matalas said. "I think that was probably the hardest thing is that we just don't have infinite cash or run time to do justice to the characters."
With rumors swirling about a potential merger with Warner Bros. Discovery—and the possibility of Paramount+ merging with HBO Max—budget pressures will only intensify. Yet Matalas proved that a compelling Star Trek story doesn't require a blockbuster budget. His work on Picard Season 3 earned both critical acclaim and fan adoration, showing that smart storytelling can triumph over financial constraints.
A Spinoff Waiting to Happen
One of the biggest criticisms of recent Star Trek shows is that they struggle to attract new viewers while sometimes alienating longtime fans. The final season of Picard offered a solution. It introduced Jack Crusher (Ed Speelers), Picard's son, and ended with Jack joining the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-G, now captained by Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). The finale also teased the return of Q (John de Lancie), setting up what fans have dubbed Star Trek: Legacy. Cast members have expressed enthusiasm for the project, and it feels like a natural next step.
Getting Matalas back to helm such a spinoff won't be easy. He's currently busy with VisionQuest, a Magic: The Gathering animated series for Netflix, and a remake of the sci-fi classic Enemy Mine. But if Paramount is serious about giving Star Trek a vibrant future on television, reaching out to Matalas might be the smartest move they can make. As the franchise faces its biggest challenges yet, his proven ability to deliver quality under pressure could be exactly what the final frontier needs.
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