The show has brought the beloved sci-fi franchise back to TV but is Star Trek: Discovery cancelled or will it return for a third season? The Star Trek franchise was in somewhat weak shape in the mid-2000s. Star Trek: Nemesis, which was the big screen swansong of the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, proved to be a critical and financial failure. Prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise also came to an end in 2005 after four seasons. J.J. Abrams rebooted the movie franchise with 2009's Star Trek, casting Chris Pine as a young Captain Kirk.

Due to some time-travel shenanigans, the new movie took the original crew and split them off on a new timeline, but while the reboot was criticized for plot issues and an overabundance of lens flares, it proved to be a solid hit. Sequel Star Trek Into Darkness wan an even bigger success but also received backlash for a number of story issues, including hiding that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing iconic villain Khan. The third entry Star Trek Beyond received the strongest reviews of the Kelvin Timeline trilogy but was also the lowest-grossing.

Related: Without Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, There Would Be No Discovery

While the big screen future of the series is in question, with Quentin Tarantino currently primed to direct a Star Trek movie following the completion of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the franchise is thriving on the small screen. CBS' Star Trek: Discovery brought the series back to TV in a major way, and over the course of two seasons has taken fans on exciting new adventures. Following the end of the second season, will the crew return for Star Trek: Discovery season 3 or is it cancelled?

CBS Renewed Star Trek: Discovery For Season 3

While there were rumors Star Trek: Discovery could be cancelled following the end of season 2, they proved to be unfounded when CBS renewed the show for season 3 in February 2019. While the series had trouble finding its own identity in season 1, Discovery season 2 proved to be a more assured and entertaining series. While fans have had certain issues with the show, it can't be denied Star Trek: Discovery has brought the franchise to a whole new audience.

The Future For Star Trek On TV Looks Bright

Captain Picard Star Trek

Not only will Star Trek: Discovery return for season 3 but a whole host of new shows are planned. The most exciting is Star Trek: Picard, featuring the return of Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard. Other planned spinoffs include Star Trek: Section 31, focusing on Starfleet's shady black ops outfit, which will feature the return of Michelle Yeoh's Georgiou.

There will also be a Nickelodeon Star Trek kids show and another animated show dubbed Star Trek: Lower Decks. Fans are also calling for a spinoff featuring Arson Mount as Captain Pike, who made a big impression during Discovery season 2. While there was once a dearth of the franchise on TV, Star Trek: Discovery season 3 and all the planned spinoffs prove the show has a bright future.

Next: Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline Should Be The New Mirror Universe