'Doctor Who' and 'Star Trek' unite in live-action crossover

In a thrilling moment for sci-fi fans, the TARDIS from Doctor Who has made a surprise appearance in the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 

The crossover occurs in Season 3, Episode 6, titled The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail, where James T. Kirk takes command of the USS Enterprise after his ship, the Farragut, is damaged. 

As the Enterprise is captured by a massive scavenger ship, a brief glimpse of the TARDIS can be seen tangled in the wreckage.

This subtle Easter egg marks the first live-action crossover between the two iconic franchises. While Doctor Who and Star Trek have referenced each other in the past, this is the first time they've shared screen time. 

In a previous episode of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa's character mentioned visiting the Enterprise one day, making this crossover a nod to that earlier hint.

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has expressed enthusiasm for a potential crossover, saying, "We would love to announce a crossover between Star Trek and Doctor Who [but we aren’t doing that today]. If anyone can make that happen… it’s fans that can make that happen! Two great big broadcasters, two great big empires — and their lawyers! — would have to come together, but we can do that, can’t we?" 

This leaves room for speculation about future collaborations between the two franchises.

Meanwhile, Ncuti Gatwa, who played the Fifteenth Doctor, shared his regret about not getting to fight iconic Doctor Who villains. 

"I never got to fight a Dalek or a Cyberman. Just the crux of Doctor Who. Yeah, so… Might do that… Might go fight a Dalek," he joked on The One Show with Alex Jones.