One key person fromStar Trek: The Original Series’classic trio is still missing fromStar Trek: Strange New Worlds: Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Along with Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike and Rebecca Romijn’s Number One, Ethan Peck’s Mr. Spock has been part of modernStar TrekshowssinceStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2.Strange New Worldscame one step closer to recreatingStar Trek: The Original Series' famous trifecta with Paul Wesley as Lieutenant James Kirk. McCoy may not be too far behind.
Star Trek: Discovery’s first 2 seasons are set from 2256 to 2258, thenStar Trek: Strange New Worldstakes place in 2259 and 2260.There are only a few defined facts in Bones' historyin this part of theStar Trektimeline. McCoy completed medical school at the University of Mississippi in the early 2250s, before divorcing his wife and enrolling at Starfleet Academy. McCoy was stationed on Capella IV for a few months before joining Captain Kirk’s (William Shatner) USS Enterprise crew. Most important forStrange New Worlds, Dr. Mark Piper (Paul Fix) wasTOS’Enterprise doctor before McCoy.
Where Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy Is During Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Strange New Worlds Has Leeway When It Comes To Dr. McCoy
There’s some leeway regarding whereDr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy is duringStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. Because Dr. Piper precedes McCoy as the Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer inStar Trek: The Original Series, McCoy probably won’t be CMO inStrange New Worlds. Instead,Bones is still in a relatively early stage of his Starfleet career, just like Lieutenants Kirk and Spock, and may already be on theUSS Farragut with Kirk. A bond forged on the Farragut would give Kirk a reason to bring Bones aboard the USS Enterprise when Kirk becomes Enterprise captain in the 2260s.
Our Flag Means Death’s Rhys Darby is slated to appear inStrange New Worldsseason 3 as an undisclosed character, which might wind up beingStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' version of Dr. McCoy.
So far,Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas found clever ways to get belovedTOScharacters onto Pike’s Enterprise without breaking the existingStar Trek: The Original Seriescanon.Dr. McCoy could still appear inStrange New Worldswithout being permanently assigned to the Enterprise yet, just likePaul Wesley’s Lieutenant Kirk. One way might be if McCoy fills in a temporary Enterprise sick bay vacancy when Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) leaves to join Dr. Roger Korby’s (Cillian O’Sullivan) Fellowship, or if Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olasunmokun) exits to face charges for crimes during the Klingon War.
Could Dr. Bones McCoy Appear In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Or 4?
Strange New Worlds Is Slowly Assembling Modern Trek’s TOS Roster
It’s certainly possible that Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy could appear inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 or 4. After introducing Martin Quinn as Lieutenant Montgomery Scott inStrange New Worlds' season 2 finale, it seems likeStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis well on its way to assembling all ofStar Trek: The Original Series’main legacycharacters.Executive Producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Meyers have said thatStrange New Worldscould lead intoTOS. If so,Star Trek: Strange New Worldswill still need to maintain its own identity as a modernStar Trekshow.
James T. Kirk
Paul Wesley
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2, episode 3, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” *
Star Trek: Discoveryseason 2, episode 7, “Light and Shadows”
Nyota Uhura
Celia Rose Gooding
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 1, episode 1, “Strange New Worlds”
Christine Chapel
Jess Bush
- Paul Wesley appears as an alternate timeline version of Kirk inSNWseason 1, episode 10, “A Quality of Mercy”, before Prime Kirk’sSNWdebut at the end of “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”.
After all,Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis so much more than a modern remake ofStar Trek: The Original Series. So far,Strange New Worldshas done a great job of honoring classicStar Trekcharacters, while also applying modern storytelling conventions, like long character arcs and ongoing relationships to one another. Whether Dr. Leonard McCoy will be the nextStar Trek: The Original Serieslegacy character to get theStar Trek: Strange New Worldstreatment remains to be seen, but hopefully, it won’t be too long beforeStar Treksees Bones play off Kirk and Spock again.
