Paul Giamatti Confirms Fate of Star Trek’s Best New Villain Nus Braka

Paramount+’s Unexpected Sci-Fi Hit Officially Wraps Season 2

Veteran actor Paul Giamatti, who stars as the villain Nus Braka in Paramount’s hit series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, reportedly will not return for a second season.

The actor confirmed his exit, which is currently in production and expected to wrap filming this weekend, while discussing his acting career
at The D-Con Chamber, hosted by Star Trek: Enterprise’s Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating.

“There’s a possibility I could be returning,” he confirmed, “but I don’t know.” Pressed a little further, he confirmed he’d love to come back for more Star Trek, before adding: “It’s one of those things that makes me hope, if they wanted me back, I could go do it because I just enjoyed doing it with everybody. I like being on set. It was, like, pleasant.”

Giamatti, who brings immense enthusiasm and a self-described “over-the-top” performance to the role, has quickly become a standout “bright spot” and fan favorite in the new series. A “Trekkie” himself, he specifically requested to play the alien villain, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

The news of his departure is a “crushing revelation,” given that his character is widely considered one of the show’s strongest elements.

The Oscar-winning actor return beyond season 2 is, in my humble opinion, a necessary element for the show’s continued success. He’s one of the most interesting characters on Starfleet Academy, and it feels like we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of his overall motives, with the latest episode (six) revealing just how much hatred he has for Starfleet and the Academy’s leadership, especially Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter).

While fans can expect major developments with his character before he leaves, Giamatti shared a minor detail that some may have been wondering about. What’s the mystery behind that “tic-tac-toe hair” hairstyle?

“That gets explained, actually. That was actually not something that I… that was something they said was going to be there from the get-go. And, as it goes along, by the end of my little tenure on the show, that’s explained: why he – there’s a reason he has that [hairdo] There’s a big backstory for this, which is nice.” 

With only three more episodes to go in the season and the finale scheduled to air on March 12, 2026, Giamatti’s brief comment that he would “love to” return if the show is renewed for a third season offers fans some much-needed hope for his future.

Watch Paul Giamatti discuss what drew him to the role of the evil pirate Nus Braka below:

Starfleet Academy weekly episodes air Thursdays exclusively on Paramount+. Stream now Here.  

“Live long and prosper.”