Sonequa Martin-Green Starfleet Academy rumors gained momentum after Martin-Green herself hinted at the possibility of her character, Michael Burnham, appearing in the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series. The new show is set directly after Star Trek: Discovery’s finale, making crossovers with familiar characters increasingly likely and stirring interest within the Star Trek community.
Star Trek’s Connected Universe Sets the Stage
The broader Star Trek universe has always thrived on deep interconnections, allowing plotlines and characters to traverse timelines, locations, and series. Characters frequently reappear, and key events from the past reverberate across centuries. This interconnectedness is embedded in the franchise, ensuring that even as new series emerge, the stories and faces that fans cherish tend to resurface, maintaining a sense of continuity and nostalgia throughout the narrative landscape.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, positioned immediately after Discovery’s events, leverages this sense of unity. With Discovery’s later seasons unfolding in the 32nd century following The Burn—a catastrophic event that fractured the Federation and led to the dissolution of Starfleet Academy—the new show is poised to depict the institution’s rebirth. This series follows the inaugural class of cadets in over a century, focusing on their experiences at a newly reinstated Academy, now transformed both structurally and thematically by recent history.
Potential Crossover Opportunities
Starfleet Academy’s unique placement in the timeline provides ample grounds for crossover appearances that would have been difficult in most previous series. The Discovery crew continues to work for the Federation during this period, which means their stories and influence remain relevant in this new chapter. Notably, Tig Notaro (Jett Reno), Oded Fehr (Admiral Charles Vance), and Mary Wiseman (Lt. Sylvia Tilly)—with Tilly now serving as an Academy instructor—are all confirmed to return in the series’ first season. These inclusions set a precedent for other familiar faces to join the cast, sparking speculation about additional character intersections.
Throughout Discovery’s final seasons, the crew frequently interacted with Federation headquarters, and with the new Academy taking the form of the mobile starship USS Athena, encounters with legacy characters become plausible. For instance, characters such as Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) and his spouse, T’Rina (Tara Rosling), President of Ni’Var, could realistically appear. This narrative architecture increases the chances that beloved figures—now scattered throughout the rebuilt Federation—could make appearances that resonate deeply with longtime fans.
Speculation Around Michael Burnham’s Return
With Starfleet Academy’s timeline overlapping with events depicted in Discovery’s epilogue, attention has turned to whether Michael Burnham, portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green, could make a guest appearance. The window between the Academy’s reopening and the conclusion of Burnham’s story seen in “Life, Itself” offers the writers room to credibly involve her in this new setting. Fans and commentators alike are weighing the likelihood, especially since Burnham remains active in Federation circles during this era.
According to TrekMovie.com, Burnham’s possible involvement seems increasingly plausible. When Matt Mitovitch, formerly of TVLine and now writing the Inside Line column, raised the question at a promotional event for Martin-Green’s CBS series Boston Blue, he noted her enthusiastic reaction. His report captures her optimism and familiarity with the interconnected storytelling opportunities Starfleet Academy presents.
“When I brought your Q to Martin-Green after the recent Boston Blue event, the way she giddily lit up made clear that she is well-versed on the overlapping timelines,”
Mitovitch reported.
“Let me tell you something—it would be so much fun. I’ll put it like that,”
the Discovery alum answered.
“And I will also say that [co-showrunner] Alex Kurtzman did it on purpose. He put SFA in the same timeline so that there would be the potential for crossovers. There’s a lot of opportunity there, and that’s exciting.”
— Matt Mitovitch, Reporter; Sonequa Martin-Green, Actor
While Martin-Green refrained from giving definite confirmation, her statement emphasizes both her excitement and an open window for crossovers. She credits Alex Kurtzman with intentionally engineering the series’ timeline to maximize the potential for these fan-pleasing meetings, underscoring how much thought has already gone into weaving the narrative between Star Trek properties.
Looking Ahead to Starfleet Academy’s Debut
This deliberate approach hints that crossovers—including one involving Michael Burnham—are not just possible, but perhaps anticipated by the creative team. Given the franchise’s tradition of bridging generations and stories, and with actors like Mary Wiseman and characters such as Saru and T’Rina anchored firmly in this timeline, it would not be surprising to see additional major characters joining the roster. The fanbase is also buzzing about the possibility of Michael Burnham clashing with Chancellor Ake, played by Holly Hunter, which would bring another dynamic layer to Starfleet Academy’s unfolding story.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is scheduled to premiere on January 15, 2026. As anticipation grows, the possibility of these well-loved characters returning lends the project an added sense of excitement—promising that the tradition of the Star Trek universe’s tightly woven stories will only deepen with the arrival of this new series.
Doug Jones willing to reappear as Saru in StarFleet Academy
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