Anson Mount told CinemaBlend in 2022 that Strange New Worlds is a prequel and implied that fans didn't have to worry about PIke leaving before the series' end. Paul Wesley echoed that viewpoint to CinemaBlend in 2023, noting that when Kirk does take control of the Enterprise, it'd likely be as a new and separate series from the current one.

I hope Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) don't break up in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Of course, this is assuming Batel survives her infection by the Gorn at the end of Strange New Worlds season 2.