(Photo: Christopher T. Saunders/Showtime)

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has its big bad. Paul Giamatti (Billions, above) has been cast as the villain in the upcoming Paramount+ series. He is joining the previously cast Holly Hunter, who will play the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy.

The new Star Trek series will follow a new group of young cadets as they come of age and train to be part of Starfleet. They discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves, and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Not many details about Giamatti’s role were revealed, but his character will have an ominous past connected to one of the academy’s cadets.

Per Deadline, co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau said the following about the addition of Giamatti to the cast:

“Sometimes you’re lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge Star Trek fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us. The sheer delight with which he dove in on Starfleet Academy is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast.”

Production on the new show begins this summer. The premiere date and additional casting for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be announced later.

What do you think? Are you planning to check out this new Paramount+ series? Are you glad to hear Giamatti is part of the project?