Among the many exciting new shows coming in 2026, there are some notable projects sci-fi fans will want to watch for. Science fiction continues to be one of the most versatile and exciting genres in television right now, with the likes of Severance, Pluribus, and Alien: Earth showing the kind of excellent storytelling that can be done.
2026 will see the anticipated return of several sci-fi shows, like The Boys and Silo, but there are also a number of new series worth seeking out. Among the new crop of sci-fi shows coming this year, there is a beloved sci-fi movie franchise shifting to television, the latest DCU series, and a new show from the creators of Stranger Things.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Release date: Jan. 15 on Paramount+
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will also be returning this year, but there is another spinoff in the beloved sci-fi franchise that offers a new look at the universe of Star Trek. Starfleet Academy will follow a group of young heroes who make up the first class of new Starfleet Academy cadets in years. The show will follow their adventures as they train to become officers.
It is a smart move to have Star Trek attempting to wade into Stranger Things territory with exciting adventures focused on young characters. It looks to be a lighter addition to the franchise, but one that still delivers on the sci-fi adventure that has made Star Trek so popular for so long.
Blade Runner 2099
Release date: TBA on Prime Video
Blade Runner went from being a box office bomb in 1982 to a cult classic that spawned an acclaimed franchise. Nearly a decade after Blade Runner 2049, the latest installment is coming, marking the first live-action series in the Blade Runner franchise with Blade Runner 2099.
Details are still being kept secret, but as the title suggests, the show will take place in the Blade Runner universe 50 years after the events of Blade Runner 2049. Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh stars as a replicant nearing the end of her life, while Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and Tom Burke (Furiosa) will also star. As artificial intelligence continues to be a big part of our modern world, it will be interesting to see how this beloved franchise addresses the issue.
The Boroughs
Release date: TBA on Netflix
Stranger Things' finale may not have satisfied everyone, but there are still plenty of reasons to get excited about what's to come next from the Duffer Brothers. Luckily for fans, despite them just finishing with Stranger Things, there is not a long wait for their next series. While The Boroughs is another supernatural sci-fi story, it focuses on a much different age group with its main characters.
The show is set in a retirement home where a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat. It is an intriguing otherworldly from young kids to older people for the Duffers, but the cast is even more exciting. Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Bill Pullman all star, among others, in a series that could be as gripping as Stranger Things.
Lanterns
Release date: TBD on HBO
Last year was a big one for the DCU as it officially kicked off, delivering its first movie with James Gunn's Superman. However, the most exciting project from the studio in 2026 brings the cinematic universe back to the small screen. Lanterns will serve as the DCU's exploration of the Green Lantern Corps, which was introduced in Superman with the character Guy Gardner.
Lanterns is an Earth-bound adventure that follows Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a crime in a small town that could have bigger implications. It seems as though this series will lean into the sci-fi side of the comic book world more than Superman while also being a more grounded and darker story, which will be a real test for the DCU.
Neuromancer
Release date: TBD on Apple TV+
This year is a very special one for many sci-fi fans as it will finally see an adaptation of William Gibson's novel Neuromancer coming to life. Since the novel's publication in 1984, there have been several attempts to adapt the story of a hacker who is recruited by a mysterious gang into the world of high-tech crime.
Many have suggested Neuromancer was an unfilmable novel, but perhaps encouraged by the success of Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies, Apple TV+ is delivering it in series format. Callum Turner will lead the series as Case, while Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, and Clémence Poésy will also appear.