Jonathan Frakes Promises Lots of Levity in New Star Trek Show

It’s no secret that fans have complicated feelings about new Star Trek shows, and the early looks at the upcoming Starfleet Academy isn’t changing anyone’s feelings. Older Trekkies share their worries about how new shows both valorize the past and abandon the previous series’ focus on professionals doing their jobs well. They complain about the reliance on too many gimmicks, the serialized seasons about intergalactic threats, and everything about Spock’s love life.

But who’s this, swinging his leg over a chair and sitting down to share a good word about the future of Star Trek? Why it’s Jonathan Frakes, who will continue his directing career by helming a few episodes of Starfleet Academy. And from his perspective as the Trek insider, Starfleet Academy has a great tone, which he attributes to one cast member in particular.

“To its credit, Academy has lots of levity, and great—well, first of all, Paul Giamatti is the villain,” Frakes shared with TrekMovie. “I met him while he was there, and I am a massive fan of his—I think most actors are, and most people are. And I said, ‘How’s it been?’ He said, ‘I have been having such a good time.’ And then he leans in and says, ‘Maybe too good a time.'”

What does Giamatti mean by that? Frakes doesn’t explain, simply choosing to laugh in delight. But it’s not hard to imagine, given Giamatti’s body of work. After establishing himself as a reliable theater and supporting actor in throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, Giamatti broke out with acclaimed performances in American Splendor in 2003 and Sideways in 2004. While those movies showed off his dramatic range, Giamatti’s always been able to bring a playfulness to even his most serious part, something he demonstrated again in his Oscar nominated portrayal of a grouchy teacher in 2023’s The Holdovers.

Giamatti already joins an impressive cast on Starfleet Academy, which includes not just Holly Hunter as Chancellor Nahla Ake and Tatiana Maslany as mother to cadet Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), but also Robert Picardo reprising his role as the EMH, alongside Discovery cast members Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly and Tig Notaro as Jett Reno.

Starfleet Academy focuses on the incoming class of recruits to the school after its reconstitution in the 32nd century, as seen in the later seasons of Discovery. Giamatti plays Nus Braka, a half-Tellarite, half-Klingon who creates trouble for the young people and their teachers, which apparently is a lot of fun for both the actor and for Frakes.

“I’m grateful,” Frakes said of his opportunity to continue working within the world of Star Trek. “I search out the levity in any script, especially in the Treks… because there’s so much. And [on Academy] it’s there. And it helps the rhythm of the cutting and the storytelling.”

So take heart, longtime fans worried that Star Trek has lost its way. Will Riker—or rather, the guy who has played Riker on numerous series and has served as director on most of them as well—sees Starfleet Academy as pure Trek, as long as you’re willing to embrace the fun side of the franchise.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy debuts on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026.