WWE Wrestler Makes Surprise Announcement About New Star Trek Show
If you're a fan of the original 1960s Star Trek, then you know it was all about those bonkers Captain Kirk fight moves. From flying kicks, to putting dudes into chokeholds with his legs, to pile-drivers, William Shatner (and his stunt doubles) were throwing down some WWE-style wrestling before Wrestlemania was even a thing. And now, it seems that synergy is back. WWE superstar Rebecca Quinn aka Becky Lynch is joining the next Star Trek TV series in a major role.
On X, Quinn posted the surprise announcement that she had joined the cast of the development series Star Trek: StarFleet Academy. She didn't reveal her exact role, or whether or not she would be playing an alien or a human, but did mention she would be part of the "bridge crew." This means she'll likely be boldly going somewhere in the galaxy, hopefully, kicking ass while she does so. Quinn's wrestling nickname is "The Man," which was also part of the title of her 2024 memoir; Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl.
Not your average average Starfleet officer! I'm beaming in to the first season of @StarTrek: Starfleet Academy on @ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/GlCCttnCIO
— Rebecca Quin (@BeckyLynchWWE) December 16, 2024
Quinn is not the first professional wrestler to trade the ring for a starship in the Trekkie cosmos. Back in the year 2000, well before he was a movie star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson guest-starred on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager called "Tsunkatse" in which he played an alien wrestler. At the time, he battled incumbent Trek badass, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Funny enough, at that point, the Star Trek cast members he was on screen with were arguably more famous than him.
Starfleet Academy, is for now, a show that is very much under wraps. It features an ensembles cast of mostly younger characters, including actors Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, Karim Diané, and Zoë Steiner. But the show also stars Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, as well Tig Notaro and Mary Wiseman, both reprising their roles from Star Trek: Discovery.
Again, Quinn's role in Starfleet Academy is unclear, and we'll probably have to wait awhile before the series beams down. The show is still filming and is expected to hit Paramount+ sometime in late 2025 or early 2026.