Orci and Kurtzman Talk About Deleted Shatner Cameo

For months, we’ve heard William Shatner lament that he wasn’t included in the rebooted version of “Star Trek.”

However, there was a small cameo written for the man who originally brought James T. Kirk to life on-screen according to screen writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman.  Speaking to io9, Orci and Kurtzman said their original script included a scene for Shatner, but it ended up on the cutting room floor.

“The very last scene when Spock and Spock meet each other, finally. And elder Spock is convincing young Spock that he couldn’t interfere, because it would have diverted [Kirk and Spock] away from their friendship. And that their friendship is the key to the whole sort of shebang,” said Kurtzman.   The scene would have included elder Spock showing his younger self a message from the future Kirk.  “He [elder Spock] said, “Don’t take my word for it.” And he handed him [younger Spock] a little holographic device and it projected Shatner. It was basically a Happy Birthday wish knowing that Spock was going to go off to Romulus, and Kirk would probably be dead by the time…”

Kurtzman went on to say that he regrets that Shanter wasn’t able to be in this installment, but added that the actor could have a cameo in the next installment.

As for other moments we missed, Orci and Kurtzman said cuts were made to scenes showing the birth of Kirk’s son David to Carol Marcus and a scene of Spock playing the Vulcan lute.  No word on if these scenes were filmed and could be included as extras on the DVD and Blu Ray release.