A major Marvel star is joining the Star Trek universe

The Star Trek Universe is no stranger to star-power. The same franchise that helped William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy become pop-culture phenomenons also enhanced the careers of legends such as Sir Patrick Stewart and Chris Pine (in the Kelvin Timeline movies). It's also now spotlighting veterans of this generation such as Sonequa Martin-Green on Star Trek: Discovery and Anson Mount in spinoff series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The franchise appeals to people of all ages and one of the many (countless!) reasons for that is that it has been led by stars from different generations.

One of the biggest franchises of today is undoubtedly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Debuting in 2008 with Iron Man, it enhanced the careers of Robert Downey Jr. Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo, while also launching the Hollywood careers of the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Oh yeah, and it has also collectively made over $30 billion at the box office across 34 movies.

We've seen a number of Marvel stars in the Star Trek universe over the years, but one of the biggest crossovers is about to happen, as it has just been confirmed that a major MCU star is joining the franchise.

She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany to appear in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Paramount Plus has revealed that Tatiana Maslany will guest star in the upcoming first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. As reported by Variety, the announcement was made at New York Comic-Con, along with the confirmation that the show had been renewed for a second season. Yes, before its first has even premiered. That showcases just how much faith the service has in the legendary franchise.

Starfleet Academy focuses on the first new line-up of Starfleet cadets in over 100 years as they train to become officers. Though no details have been revealed on Maslany's character as of yet, the show does feature a promising cast led by Holly Hunter. Tig Notaro reprises her Star Trek: Discovery role as Denise "Jett" Reno, while Robert Picardo also reprises his legendary Star Trek role as The Doctor.

Maslany will no doubt be a welcome addition to the show. A powerhouse performer, she is probably best known for her sensational performance in Orphan Black, which won her an Emmy Award. Of course, she's best known to Marvel fans for portraying Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk herself, in Marvel Studios' She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

The Marvel Television series premiered on Disney Plus in 2022 and it has run for one season (thus far), introducing us all to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Jade Giantess. It was well-received by fans and critics, particularly because of Maslany's strong performance and the witty writing, but there was some criticism directed towards the CGI, while others felt that a sitcom just didn't work in the MCU.

Its sitcom-like approach, however, is one of the reasons that it did work, because it is still one of the few Marvel shows to actually feel like a TV show, making the most of the fact that it's streaming on Disney Plus and not on a cinema screen. Two years on, it still feels like one of the few to do it, with only WandaVision and Agatha All Along also nailing the TV approach.

It's unclear when Maslany will reprise the role in the MCU going forward. She has suggested that Disney isn't interested in making a second season of She-Hulk due to the budget it would require, but a number of insiders have reported that the character will return in other titles, potentially even Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

But the star is now set to make her presence felt on another legendary franchise, and we can't wait to see her do it!