William Shatner has made no secret about the fact that he’d like to be involved in the next “Star Trek” movie.
But even he admits that possibility is unlikely.
“I would be so interested in doing it, especially with that wonderful director J.J. Abrams, but I don’t see how it’s possible and maybe we all have gone beyond that,” he tells the Herald Sun.
Part of it could be that the character of James T. Kirk was killed in “Star Trek: Generations.” And part of it could be that Shatner is busy these days with work on his new sitcom.
And part of it could be that Shatner isn’t happy with the screen time he’d get. Reports from the first movie indicate that Shatner turned down a cameo in the film.
“[Shatner] was very vocal that he didn’t want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly, which, frankly, he deserves. The truth is, the story that we were telling required a certain adherence to the Trek canon and consistency of storytelling,” director J.J. Abrams said at the time.
So, do you think having the original Kirk in the next “Trek” film is a good or a bad idea?
I’ve been a Star Trek fan since I watched the original series when it was originally broadcast and Bill is always a delight to watch, no matter what he gets up to.
But this is J.J.’s Star Trek now. This is a different timeline and I don’t think any reference should be made to the timeline we have been watching or that we should have any of the original timeline’s cast appearing in it.
How can any real Star Trek fan (old or new) say “we don’t need Shatner”. In the Trek Verse that is nothing less than pure, unadulterated, blatant BLASPHEMY!
I love Shatner, but his story has been told. He died. End of the Shatner story. JJ depthly played the Leonard Nimoy/Classic Spock angle in a way that was moving AND smart. It’s a pony that he doesn’t have to play again.
Besides, wasn’t Shatner so mad about not being in the first flick that he was not only against it but thought it was going to bomb in the theater?
&^%$ my dad says.
I second what Sam said.
I’m sure Adam West would like to be in the next Batman also. I could do without the time travel angle. If he played a different character, it would be hard to get past that winking at the camera feeling but that would be easier.
I think the only way Shatner could be on the next Abrams Trek movie is if he would play Kirk’s (Pine) grandfather. Kirk Prime (Shatner) would be dead from Generations.
However, there is another way. Remember how Spock Prime (Nimoy) got sucked into the new timeline? Maybe the nexus ribbon would allow Kirk Prime to get into the new timeline and meet his younger self. Just something to think about.
Shatner’s Kirk died, plain and simple. The only way it could work is if he played the older version of Pine’s Kirk, and I would personally find that too gimmicky.
Let’s stay away from trying to find ways of bringing in past cast members playing their old roles, and just focus on this new cast. It’s their Star Trek now!
The only way I can see it work if you bring “Q” into the storyline somehow.
This is a whole new time line: planet Vulcan is gone, all of the old time line is gone except for Spock prime. Kirk can come back in a cameo, as Generations is only a forgotten memory now. But a show concentrating mainly on an 80 year old Kirk? Poppycock!
Thinking about it, there is an ideal role for William Shatner in the next Star trek movie: he could play Jim Kirk’s Great Grandfather!!!
How about an alternate timeline Kirk like an evil Kirk? Nah…. Shatner’s Kirk has run it’s course. Maybe some videos that Spock brought back in time of him? If that happens then Takei’s Sulu better be in it. I would rather see Takei in the new movie than Kirk.