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After an exhaustive search, The Walking Dead‘s Sonequa Martin-Green has landed the lead role of Rainsford in Star Trek: Discovery, the upcoming new series for CBS All Access, CBS’ live streaming and VOD service. CBS TV Studios, which produces the series, declined comment on the casting, but sources say Martin-Green will remain regular on The Walking Dead, where she plays Sasha Williams. It is unclear whether the new gig gives a potential glimpse into the fate of her character on the hit AMC drama where anyone could be killed off at any moment.

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On Star Trek: Discovery, Martin-Green will play Lt. Cmdr. Rainsford, whom series co-creator and former showrunner Bryan Fuller described in August as a “sensitive her.” The idea from the get-go was to find a non-white actress for the role, which, after a lengthy process, led to Martin-Green.



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She joins previously announced Star Trek: Discovery cast members Doug Jones as Lt. Saru, a Starfleet Science Officer; Anthony Rapp as Lt. Stamets, an astromycologist, fungus expert, and Starfleet Science Officer; Michelle Yeoh as Starfleet captain Georgiou; and Chris Obi, Shazad Latif

and Mary Chieffo as the Klingons.

Star Trek: Discovery, set to premiere in May on CBS before relocating to CBS All Access, will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions. The series will be distributed by Netflix in 188 countries and by Bell Media in Canada.

Star Trek: Discovery is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Bryan Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment. Fuller, who conceived the series with Kurtzman and served as showrunner early on before his October exit, is no longer involved creatively, though he retains an executive producing credit. Also serving as executive producers are Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts, Akiva Goldsman, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth.