Summary

• Doug Jones clarifies Saru's absence from Star Trek: Discovery season 5 due to prior commitment to Hocus Pocus 2.
• Jones assures fans that he will return to Star Trek: Discovery before the season ends.
• Saru's limited appearance in season 5 linked to Jones promoting Hocus Pocus 2, not a storyline shift.

Doug Jones explains Saru's absence from Star Trek: Discovery season 5. As one of Star Trek: Discovery's series leads and most popular characters, fans have noticed that Saru hasn't played a substantive role in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 since episode 3, "Jinaal", outside of his voice being heard and being briefly seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange"'s time travel flashbacks. Doug Jones' name has also been missing from Star Trek: Discovery season 5's opening credits.

To alleviate fans' concerns, Doug Jones replied on his X account to explain why Saru has been missing from Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Jones explains that his prior commitment to Disney+'s Hocus Pocus 2, in which he plays Billy Butcherson, is why he and Saru haven't been in the last few episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Check out his post below:

Saru Will Return In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Saru and T'Rina are engaged to be married

Doug Jones is very much in demand, and he has other roles in Hocus Pocus 2 and What We Do In The Shadows keeping him busy beyond Star Trek: Discovery. However, as Jones noted, Saru will return later in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. The noble Kelpien left the USS Discovery early in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 to assume a new role as an Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets. It's logical to surmise that this shift in Saru's career was a creative way for Doug Jones to split his time between Hocus Pocus 2 and his commitment to Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery's cast and crew also didn't know season 5 would be the final season during production.

Ambassador Saru's other big storyline in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is his pending wedding to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). Saru and T'Rina have announced their engagement, and hopefully, their wedding will take place later in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Since it's the final season, it's likely that Saru and T'Rina's wedding may be part of Star Trek: Discovery's series finale after the USS Discovery's hunt for the Progenitors' treasure is resolved. After all, Saru will want Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and his beloved crew mates from the USS Discovery to be guests at his wedding.

Source: X

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+