Paramount+’s new Star Trek series, Starfleet Academy, has not been shy about leveraging its big-name talent, whether that means giving fans a good, hard look at “Holly Hunter, Space Principal,” or Paul Giamatti living out his dreams of being a cackling alien villain with tons of crap glued to his face. (To say nothing of franchise return guests like Tig Notaro, Mary Wiseman, and Robert Picardo.) Still, we’ll admit they managed to surprise us with the cameo appearance the show rolled out at New York Comic-Con this week, as they played a clip of CBS talk show host (and certified geek) Stephen Colbert, announcing he’s joining the series in a voice role.
Long-time fans of Colbert’s career will know that he used to hop in the voice booth pretty often, lending his sharp, Stentorian tones to cartoons like Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law and The Venture Bros.. If you were on the fence about Starfleet Academy—which also got a non-Colbert trailer today, featuring what looks like a pretty enjoyably pulpy blend of teen angst, smooching, and grown-ups like Hunter and Giamatti hamming it up—though, it’s always possible that having Colbert delivering funny announcements in the background while all the drama’s going on might be a deciding factor for you. (If nothing else, it’s nice to know the guy can still book a gig, despite all.)
