Ironically, by being so different from all the other Star Trek shows going on right now, Strange New Worlds’ wholehearted embrace of nostalgia for the original Star Trek is what’s making it stand out from the pack—and its new opening titles are no exception, a gorgeous riff on classic Trek in a shiny new package.
Paramount has released the opening titles sequence for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and they’re both suitably strange and suitably familiar for a show that’s leaning all the way in on the retro aesthetic of the original Star Trek. From Anson Mount’s Captain Pike narrating that classic “These are the voyages...” opening, to the gorgeous shots of the Enterprise soaring through interstellar anomalies and, truly, past some strange new worlds, to the music itself riffing on the original Trek theme, these titles are a reminder that this show is setting itself apart from the rest of the current Trek oeuvre to re-embrace the classic feeling of the older shows.
There’s so much to love here visually, not just in the Enterprise itself, but shots of it soaring through asteroid belts and through clouds of dazzling stardust that feel incredibly reminiscent of Star Trek: Voyager’s opening titles. Or hell, the Enterprise itself swooshing past the screen feeling like a very high-budget re-imagining of the way the ship would practically scream its way through the original Star Trek opening. And yet, it’s not hyperkinetic or anything. It’s... surprisingly placid? Which, because this is the Enterprise, we know is a vibe that’s not going to last very long. But for now, we can simmer in the beauty and relaxation of boldly going before all the explosions and phaser beams start blaring out.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins streaming on Paramount+ May 5.
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