Star Trek Fans Get Roasted: Stephen Colbert Joins Starfleet Academy

Stephen Colbert has been tapped by Alex Kurtzman to join the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. This move comes on the heels of CBS announcing the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in July, with its final episode scheduled for May 2026.

While Colbert will no longer be seen behind his desk, he will lend his voice to the character called the Digital Dean in the upcoming Paramount+ series. The announcement came during New York Comic Con, which took place from Thursday to Sunday. In a video message, Colbert said, “Greetings and felicitations, New York Comic-Con. Tis I, Stephen Colbert. Folks, I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you in person today, but I’m a perfectionist and I just didn’t have enough bunting for my Mugato cosplay. However, nothing could stop me from sharing this exciting news.”

He continued, “I am honored to announce that my beautiful voice will be joining Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as the Digital Dean of Students, where I’ll get to announce things like, ‘Attention Ensign Krebs, you Talaxian Furfly has exited the replicator and is now mating with itself.'”

Related: Federation of Failures: Alex Kurtzman’s Guide to Breaking Star Trek

Colbert, who will appear only as a voice actor, described himself as “thrilled” about the role, which will premiere on January 15, 2026. He added that he looks forward to no longer having to “spend four hours in hair and makeup every day” for the part.

It is hard not to see this latest casting choice as part of a trend under Alex Kurtzman’s leadership of Star Trek. Bringing on a divisive figure like Colbert, known more for antagonistic political humor than for contributing anything meaningful or funny to science fiction fans, feels more like trolling than serious casting. Yes this isn’t surprising given Kurtzman also cast Stacey Abrams as the “President of the World” on Star Trek: Discovery, and consistently leans into vulgar language and identity politics throughout his version of the Star Trek universe.

For longtime fans seeking quality storytelling focused on the heart of the franchise, this signals continued frustration ahead. We recommend reruns of The Orville, at least their voice cast including someone with talent; the late, great Norm Macdonald.

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