Black Mirror Season 6 trailer teases USS Callister sequel

We're back in black, as more dystopian tech horror is on the way in the form of Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror. Netflix has just given us a surprise drop of the Black Mirror Season 6 trailer and confirmed a June release with a suitably batsh*t crop of episodes.

First released on Channel 4 in 2011, the early days of Black Mirror were remembered for smaller stories about sexual intercourse with pigs or robotic husbands back from the dead. These days, it's a much bigger affair with killer VR headsets and storylines that are boldly going where no series has gone before.

It was hard to figure out what was going on in the Black Mirror Season 6 trailer, but if you were looking closely, it might be setting up a sequel to (arguably) its best episode. While the likes of "White Bear," "Nosedive," and "San Junipero" get a lot of love, it's "USS Callister" that wins it for many.

Is Black Mirror Season 6 setting up a USS Callister sequel?

In the first Black Mirror Season 6 trailer, we see a glimpse of Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul stepping out of some sort of pod and into what could be a spaceship. Cut this together with various shots of a space station littered throughout, it's not hard to connect the dots.

The real clincher is that Paul has actually been in Black Mirror before. Season 4's "USS Callister" ended with the crew of the titular ship breaking free from the controlling Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) and a disgruntled Gamer691 (voiced by Paul) venting his frustration. Could Paul be reprising the role in physical form?

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Since the credits rolled on the Star Trek-inspired "USS Callister," there's been buzz about a sequel. Looking at how many Trek series and movies there have been, it's an easy and marketable one to pull off. Then again, Black Mirror's episodes have remained interconnected while never actually having a sequel episode.

Back in 2018, Jones remained tight-lipped about a sequel to The Hollywood Reporter but explained, "It would be a lot of fun, if we did it. Of all the episodes, it sort of lends itself to a sequel." Brooker said that as well as the end setting up a sequel, the crew "end up in a universe of infinite possibilities."

Brooker also told Variety "never say never" on a full spin-off series for the ragtag crew. Even though Season 6 having a "USS Callister" sequel might debunk that, it could also be a backdoor to test whether viewers still want a spin-off. Clue, we do!

Who else stars in Black Mirror Season 6?

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In the past, Black Mirror has boasted an all-star cast that's included everyone from Jon Hamm to Anthony Mackie, Bryce Dallas Howard to Letitia Wright. As Kirsten Dunst had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in "USS Callister," here's hoping she'll appear in the mythical sequel.

Season 6 has some typically A-list credentials, with newcomers including John Hannah (The Mummy), Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down), Salma Hayek (Eternals), Michael Cera (Superbad), and Zazie Beetz (Joker). Add Paul to the mix, and it's a jaw-dropping lineup.

Brooker had previously said that making more episodes felt wrong in a post-COVID world, but we couldn't be happier that Black Mirror is back for more. If we're getting a "USS Callister" sequel, beam us up, Brooker.