Star Trek: Strange New Worlds embraces puppetry for the first time, drawing on Jim Henson's legacy

The latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, titled Level-Five Transporter Accident, brings puppetry to the franchise for the first time in its nearly six-decade history. Following the show's tradition of crew members suffering mishaps during transportation, the Enterprise crew this time is turned into puppets, crafted by the renowned Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers says the idea was a considerable risk, so the team spent significant time ensuring the episode still felt authentically like Star Trek. This marks a sharp departure from Star Wars, which has long embraced puppetry, from Yoda onward. According to Dr Chris Nunn, assistant professor of film at the University of Birmingham, Star Trek instead built its identity around heavy makeup and prosthetics to portray alien characters.

In the episode, only Spock (played by Ethan Peck) remains unaffected by the transformation, staying in his usual form. Myers explains this choice was tied to Spock's logical nature, which creates a strong contrast with the rest of the now-chaotic, puppet-form crew. Director Jordan Canning notes that working with puppets actually made things easier for the cast, allowing genuine interaction rather than reacting to an imagined presence.

The article also points to other examples of puppetry succeeding in science fiction, notably The Mandalorian, whose character Grogu (Baby Yoda) became hugely popular, with even seasoned Hollywood actors reportedly excited to interact with him.

Strange New Worlds is set to conclude next year, and further Star Trek production is currently on hold as the franchise awaits clarity following the Paramount-Skydance merger. However, the puppets created for the episode have been kept in storage, and the show's creators have not ruled out using them again, potentially in short films or a web series.