Since 2011, one sci-fi anthology series has ruled them all — Black Mirror. The Charlie Brooker-created series is now set to return to Netflix for its seventh season, boasting a massively impressive cast, and a few eyebrow-raising returning directors. But for big fans of TV science fiction, the biggest development here is likely the comeback of one beloved actor known best for his travels through space and time.
That’s right, Black Mirror Season 7 on Netflix will see the return of Peter Capaldi to TV science fiction. Back in 2014, he stepped into the titular Time Lord role on Doctor Who, but hasn’t appeared in TV sci-fi since he regenerated into Jodie Whittaker back in 2017, who, oddly enough, was in Black Mirror before she was the lead of Doctor Who.
In any case, Capaldi joining Black Mirror is a glorious moment for Who fans and sci-fi fans of all stripes. But it’s also just the tip of the virtual iceberg when it comes to Black Mirror developments because the rest of the cast is incredible, too.
Black Mirror Season 7 cast
In addition to Peter Capaldi, Black Mirror Season 7 will star Emma Corrin, Awkwafina, Chris O’Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Milanka Brooks, Lewis Gribben, Osy Ikhile, Siena Kelly, Patsy Ferran, Rosy McEwen, Paul G. Raymond, Harriet Walter, Cristin Milioti, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Paul Giamatti, and Jimmi Simpson.
Of note, Rashida Jones joining the cast is interesting because her recent Apple TV+ series Sunny certainly has Black Mirror vibes, not to mention the fact that she and Michael Schur co-wrote the Season 3 episode “Nosedive,” which starred Bryce Dallas Howard in a near-future social media dystopian hellscape.
For Black Mirror loyalists, it should also be noted that both Milanka Brooks and Jimmi Simpson are returning. And that’s because it has been 100 percent confirmed that one popular Black Mirror episode is getting a big sequel.
Black Mirror’s Star Trek is Back
In addition to the casting confirmation, Deadline has also reported that among the six new episodes for Black Mirror Season 7, one will be “a sequel to the sci-fi adventure ‘USS Callister.’”
That Black Mirror season 4 Star Trek pastiche was hugely popular, not only for attacking problematic aspects of sci-fi fandom in general but also, for rendering a fairly convincing mash-up between a Tron-style world of living AIs and a Star Trek aesthetic. Toby Haynes, the director of “USS Callister” is currently attached to direct the next major Star Trek feature film for Paramount Pictures. (It should also be noted that Peter Capaldi is a massive Star Trek fan, and attended early Trek conventions as a younger man in the 1970s, and that Paul Giamatti will star in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in 2025.)
What form the “USS Callister” sequel will take is unclear, but based on the cast it seems highly possible we’ll see the story pick up soon after the original episode left off. As of this writing, beyond the Callister confirmation, none of the premises or episode titles have been revealed, yet. But with this cast, it’s possible that Black Mirror Season 7 could be the best in years.
Black Mirror Season 7 will arrive on Netflix in 2025.
