Captain Kirk Return
William Shatner says he will only return as Captain Kirk for a meaningful story
Anonymous
William Shatner says he would consider returning as Captain James T. Kirk only if offered a meaningful story that gives the character something worthwhile to do and fits the spirit of Star Trek; he has not received such a proposal. Kirk has remained canonically dead since Star Trek Generations, despite several unrealized comeback ideas, including pitches involving Star Trek: Enterprise, a possible cameo in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film, and an animated story connected to Strange New Worlds. Shatner says he does not want to reprise the role merely for nostalgia, while the franchise has instead featured younger versions of Kirk played by Chris Pine and Paul Wesley.
Key Points
1
Shatner’s proposed Enterprise return would have had him play Tiberius Kirk, Captain Kirk’s Mirror Universe counterpart, who was imagined as still alive in a pocket dimension and confronting Captain Archer and the NX-01 crew. The idea stalled in part because Shatner’s asking price exceeded the show’s budget and the network was not funding a major event during the series’ final season.
2
Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that Kirk’s body is held at the Daystrom Institute, a facility that also stores classified weapons and once housed a Soong android body—an apparent story opening for a possible return.
3
In Star Trek Generations, Kirk died after falling from a bridge while helping Jean-Luc Picard stop Dr. Tolian Soran.
4
Shatner has reprised Kirk outside the screen canon, including in a comedy sketch with Seth MacFarlane at the Oscars and in novels he co-wrote in which V’ger and the Borg obtain Kirk’s corpse.
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