Casting news is finally beginning to seep out of CBS’ hotly-anticipated Star Trek Discovery series, after the network today confirmed that Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp will be joining the previously confirmed Michelle Yeoh come 2017.
First reported by Variety, the two-fold casting coup was accompanied by some fresh character details. Jones, for instance, will be portraying Lt. Saru, a member of a previously unseen alien species. Given his many, many creature credits – Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak and more – Doug Jones is a natural fit to the budding cast of Star Trek Discovery, and we understand his Lt. Saru will lend a helping hand as a Starfleet science officer.
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Beyond that, Anthony Rapp is on board as an astromycologist and fungus expert by the name of Lt. Stamets, while Yeoh will be taking point as Captain Georgiou, the Starfleet captain aboard the starship Shenzhou. Additional casting news is expected to emerge in the coming days, and speculation is rife regarding who CBS is eyeing for the crucial part of ‘Number One.’
As the first new Star Trek TV series since Enterprise, anticipation for Discovery is on the up and up, and that’s even when you factor in the show’s rocky production. Early on in development, Bryan Fuller was originally elected showrunner alongside The Mummy‘s Alex Kurtzman, but recently left the project due to a stacked schedule and, specifically, Starz’ upcoming American Gods series. In his stead, the mantle has been passed on to Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts, who will foster all 13 episodes of the inaugural season.
Star Trek Discovery is expected to shoot for CBS sometime in the New Year. We’ll keep you posted if and when more casting news emerges.