Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actress Christina Chong revealed at Tampa Bay Comic Con that her real-life dog, Runa Ewok, will return to the sci-fi series for another guest appearance. Chong, who plays chief of security La'an Noonien-Singh, made the announcement during a panel moderated by Collider's Maggie Lovitt, though Runa herself could not attend in person due to a customs issue. The news follows a run of notable guest stars on the show, including Days of Our Lives actress Deidre Hall earlier this season.

Runa previously appeared in the first-season episode "The Elysian Kingdom," playing the companion to La'an's alter ego, Princess Thalia, in a fantasy storyline. Chong explained that she secured the role by building an Instagram page for Runa during the Covid-19 production hiatus, which caught the attention of colleagues including co-star Celia Rose Gooding (Uhura), who lobbied for the dog to be written into the script. Chong did not specify which future season or episode Runa will appear in, only teasing that the return would be "in a big way."