William Shatner, the legendary actor who brought Captain James T. Kirk to life in “Star Trek” is a little upset. Recently, he shared some interesting thoughts about Paramount and the future – or lack thereof – of his iconic character in the Star Trek universe.
So, Shatner, now 92 years young, made a splash on social media when he discussed the future of Captain Kirk. Fans were buzzing when Patrick Stewart announced he might be back as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Naturally, this led to questions about Shatner’s potential return as Kirk.
In response to a fan’s question about Stewart’s return, Shatner was all positive, saying, “I think that a new movie with Sir Patrick is wonderful news.” But then, things took a turn. Another fan asked if we’d ever see Captain Kirk again, and Shatner’s reply was quite telling. He pointed out that Kirk was conspicuously absent from Paramount+’s promotional material, which even included Leonard Nimoy’s Spock.
Shatner was clearly being passive aggressive.
This led to a deeper discussion. Fans asked if there was an official reason for this “MASSIVE FLUB” from Paramount. Shatner shared another promotional image, this time for “Star Trek Day,” again sans Kirk. He expressed his belief that some people at Paramount might feel threatened by the character of Kirk, a staple from the 1960s TV show.
The character of Captain Kirk has reappeared in the series “Star Trek: New Worlds,” portrayed by Paul Wesley. However, media and fans alike note that this new portrayal is “not like William Shatner.”
Shatner’s take on this? He’s unbothered. He believes that trying to erase the past or sideline his portrayal of Kirk is futile. His argument is that the character and its impact are too deeply ingrained in pop culture to be forgotten, regardless of what modern showrunners do.
The Hollywood actor has a point there. You can’t think about Star Trek and not think about William Shatner but it certainly appears there are forces phasing out his character.
