Even if Star Trek: Prodigy is picked up, there will be a long wait by fans for season 3

Star Trek: Prodigy is set to release its second season on July 1, 2024. With its drop, we will finally see new Prodigy content for the first time in nearly 18 months. The last new episode came out on Dec. 29, 2022, capping a gripping run for the animated series. Financial woes at Paramount+ and its parent company, Paramount Global, forced shows that were successful, but expensive, into cancelation. Even though Prodigy was already greenlit for a second season, and halfway done with the show, Paramount still canceled the show.

Thankfully, Netflix picked up the second season and allowed the crew to finish creating the unfinished new season. Despite picking up the two seasons of the show, there is no guarantee that Netflix will greenlight it for a third season. If they do, the crew will have to find a new office space to set up shop in, as they closed everything up once they were canceled.

So some serious time and money will have to go into the production of a third season. Kevin and Dan Hageman spoke with ScreenRant about this and revealed a few things. Firstly, that they don't have a home-base at the moment, with Kevin saying;

""Well, it's been a while [since] we finished [season 2]. We don't have offices anymore. We're in our homes right now.""

It was also stated that the cast and crew would love to come back for a third season. Yet, what was pressed by the interview, was that this wouldn't be a quick turnaround. One of the Hageman brothers (not specified in the original post) was even quoted as saying;

""A best case scenario would mean a likely 2-year wait for more Star Trek: Prodigy, whether it's an animated movie or Star Trek: Prodigy season 3.""

The two-year wait is becoming an industry norm and it shouldn't be. Fans are losing interest in quality programs because of these unnecessary long waits. These long delays are likely a financial issue, with streaming providers needing to clear up funds for new shows to be shot and edited. This will only help ensure a harder go for more seasons if there is a two-year hiatus. If there is a third season, we're looking at sometime in mid-to-late 2026.

That could severely hurt Prodigy's chance at a renewal. The series got an unexpected boost from Netflix by having season one pulled from Paramount+ and debuting on Netflix just months before season two premiered. That addition of season one will likely help Prodigy stay more relevant than it would've been without it, giving it a strong chance that fans tune into season two, thus helping a season three happen. It doesn't hurt that season one's debut on Netflix was well-received by the viewer base.

A third season won't have as many things happening in its favor, making anything beyond that a bit harder to expect.