The Puppets Have Beamed Aboard: Strange New Worlds Unveils Puppet Episode at Comic-Con!

It’s not every day that Hall H explodes into cheers over a puppet

But leave it to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to boldly go where no Trek has gone before… straight into Muppet territory.

During the Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con, fans were treated to one of the most delightful, unexpected reveals of the weekend: Season 4 of Strange New Worlds will feature a full-on puppet episode, brought to life by none other than Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Yes, you read that right. The U.S.S. Enterprise crew will be reimagined as puppets, and it’s not just a sight gag. The episode is being helmed by Jordan Canning (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously (and joyfully) the team is taking this.

But here’s where it gets even better.

Anson Mount couldn’t be there in person, and for good reason (if anyone saw his social media posts this morning). The actor just welcomed a new baby daughter, Violet. (Huge congrats to the Mount family!) So instead of sending a video or skipping the panel entirely, Anson’s puppet made the announcement in his place. That’s right. Captain Pike: Muppet Edition took the stage via video to deliver the news, and the crowd. went. wild.

This is the kind of Trek magic we live for: weird, heartfelt, and willing to take big swings.

While the Muppet madness stole the spotlight, Hall H was also treated to an advance screening of this week’s new episode, “A Space Adventure Hour.” Directed by Jonathan Frakes, the episode dives into a pulp murder mystery on a prototype holodeck, with Christina Chong’s La’an at the center of the case. If you weren’t in the room, don’t worry, the episode will be available to stream for free starting Thursday, July 31 through August 6 across multiple platforms, including Pluto TV and the Paramount+ YouTube channel.

We were lucky enough to be in the room, and can tell you, this one’s a banger. I know I say that about a lot of episodes, but pretty sure this one was widely loved by our crew.

The poster for  "A Space Adventure Hour," streaming this Thursday on Paramount+

And while we were there, we got a few great quotes from the cast to share. Paul Wesley, reflecting on his return as Captain Kirk and filming "A Space Adventure Hour," said:

“That was the most fun I’ve ever had shooting anything. Working with Jonathan Frakes was such a treat. Unbelievably honored, deep fully grateful for the opportunity [on playing Kirk].”

Meanwhile, Rebecca Romijn talked about her current whirlwind of a year, juggling two massive franchises:

“Surreal and overwhelming,” she said of working on both Avengers: Doomsday and Strange New Worlds.

The puppet episode is just one part of what’s already shaping up to be a genre-hopping, heartstring-pulling, absolutely bonkers Season 4. Season 3 continues to air Thursdays through September 11 on Paramount+, with the finale already looming on the horizon in just six short weeks. And with production on Season 4 officially wrapped, and the fifth and final season confirmed, Strange New Worlds is hurtling toward a finish that’s going to be just as unforgettable as that Muppet moment.

If your'e interesting in all the Starfleet Academy announcements made during the panel, check out our other article here.

Live long and puppeteer.