Warning: Spoilers ahead forStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 7, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.“Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas already had an iconic crossover with another show in the franchise, but it also just quietly merged its canon with an entirely different property. WhileStrange New Worlds' crossover withStar Trek: Lower Deckswas exciting, it made sense for the two shows to align.
ForStrange New Worlds' latest collaboration, a little more creativity is required - but not actually that much more. As one of the more gimmickyStar Trekshows,Strange New Worldshasn’t been afraid to include divisive twistslike a musical episode and even the existence of zombies within theStar Trektimeline.
Still, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail,” is pretty bold, if not overly ambitious. Both franchises involved in the crossover belong to two of thegreatest sci-fi franchises of all time, so the possibilities are endless.
The Doctor’s TARDIS Just Showed Up In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
The Legendary Time Lord Appears To Have Been Nearby
Doctor Who’s main character can show up at any point in time and spacethanks to his TARDIS, and that would seem to include theStar Trekuniverse. When the USS Enterprise is trapped inside the Scavengers' ship in “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail,” the iconic blue box can also briefly be spotted near Captain Pike’s (Anson Mount) ship.
The Doctor’s implied presence doesn’t impact the episode’s storyin the least, but it’s still an exciting inclusion for fans of both franchises. In addition, the core twist of an entire crew that’s believed to be aliens turning out to be human is exactly the kind of thing that could also serve as the basis of aDoctor Whoepisode.
Strange New Worlds' Exciting Doctor Who Crossover Pays Off The Doctor’s Coy Star Trek Reference From A Year Ago
Ruby’s Comment Teased A Previous Run-In Between The Doctor & Starfleet
The TARDIS’s presence inStar Trek: Strange New Worldmay seem surprising, but it hasn’t come out of nowhere. In 2024, NcutiGatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor made a reference to visiting theStar Trekuniversewhile speaking to Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) inDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 1, “Space Babies.”
When talking about technology fromStar Trek, Fifteen says: “We’ll have to visit them one day.” WhileGatwa’s character could have been quietly referencing theDoctor Who/Star Trekcomic book crossoverfeaturing the Eleventh Doctor, it’s now possible that he was talking about any number of journeys into theStar Trekuniverse - including “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.”
I Hope The TARDIS' Star Trek Cameo Means A More Substantial Live-Action Doctor Who Crossover Is Coming
Any Doctor Teaming Up With Any Starfleet Crew Would Be Great
In all likelihood, the TARDIS showing up inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis probably no more than a fun little Easter Egg. On the other hand,Star TrekproducerAlex Kurtzman andDoctor Whoshowrunner Russell T. Davies have discussed the possibilityof an on-screen meeting between the Doctor and the crew of a Federation starship.
The two franchises have already been testing the waters with various other mediums, like the mobile game that was released in 2024. As it stands, there doesn’t seem to be anything more substantial in live-action beyond the TARDIS' presence inStrange New Worlds, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t happen.
AlthoughDoctor Whois currently being co-produced by Disney, that particular arrangement doesn’t appear to be long for this world. When the deal likely expires,Davies has hinted that he plans to seek a new creative partnerthat will work with the BBC to continue the long-running sci-fi show.
If the BBC were to team-up with Paramount, then the coming together ofDoctor WhoandStar Trekwould presumably be a far easier endeavor thanks to the legal overlap. Such a deal hasn’t been confirmed or even mentioned, but I think it would benefit both parties.
What makes the thought ofStar Trekcrossing over withDoctor Whoso compelling is the sheer number of possibilities.Star Trekhas various eras the Doctor could visit, and it could be any version of the Time Lord who shows up. I really hope it happens, and that the mini-crossover inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis just a trial run.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on August 12, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
Star Trek
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
