Summary
- William Shatner is open to reprising Captain Kirk if it’s not a “stunt” and adds to Star Trek lore.
- Shatner’s Kirk remains dead with the Star Trek franchise recasting the role in newer movies and series.
- Shatner discusses his criteria for playing Kirk again.
WIlliam Shatner hasn’t played Captain James T. Kirk in 30 years, but he would “definitely consider” a Star Trek comeback under the right circumstances. Captain Kirk was killed off in Star Trek Generations in 1994, where Shatner passed the torch of the Star Trek movie franchise to Patrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Amazingly, Kirk has stayed dead and the Star Trek franchise never resurrected the iconic Captain of the Starship Enterprise.
Speaking to THR about his remarkable 70+ year career in entertainment, which is chronicled in his new autobiographical documentary William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill, William Shatner was asked about the possibility of playing Captain Kirk once more, in the vein of Patrick Stewart returning in Star Trek: Picard. Read Mr. Shatner’s response below:
Leonard [Nimoy] made his own decision on doing a cameo [in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek ]. He’s there for a moment, and it’s more a stunt that Spock appears in a future. If they wrote something that wasn’t a stunt that involved Kirk, who’s 50 years older now, and it was something that was genuinely added to the lore of Star Trek , I would definitely consider it.
Instead of resurrecting William Shatner’s Kirk, Star Trek recast the role with Chris Pine in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies and Paul Wesley in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
William Shatner’s best lines as Captain James T. Kirk show his evolution through each installment in the Star Trek movies featuring the TOS cast.
Star Trek Has Planted The Seed For A William Shatner Captain Kirk Resurrection
But how can a Kirk comeback not be a “stunt”?
Star Trek has laid the groundwork for a potential resurrection of William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk. Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that Kirk’s body was recovered from Veridian III in Star Trek Generations, and it’s stored in the Daystrom Station vault under the aegis of ‘Project Phoenix.’ This implies a comeback for Kirk is a possibility, perhaps as a clone or in a synthetic body like Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.
Of course, William Shatner would have to approve any idea of coming back as Kirk, and he has said he doesn’t want James recreated by A.I. while the 93-year-old screen legend is still alive.
It’s hard to conceive of a William Shatner Kirk comeback not being perceived as a gimmick, especially considering the logical gymnastics of having to account for Kirk/Shatner’s age. However, just as Leonard Nimoy appeared in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies, perhaps Shatner could be tempted to reprise his Kirk to meet Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk in the long-delayed Star Trek 4. Ultimately, Willliam Shatner playing Captain Kirk again is highly unlikely, but Star Trek has creative means to make it happen if all parties were so motivated.
