William Shatner Has No Interest Playing Kirk Alongside Chris Pine In A Star Trek Movie

William Shatner has no desire to play Kirk opposite Chris Pine in a Star Trekmovie. Shatner originated the role of James T. Kirk in the first Star Trek series back in 1966. He stuck around for all three seasons before later appearing in seven feature films. His last one, Star Trek: Generations, killed off Kirk, and to this day, it remains Shatner's last appearance in the Star Trek universe. Meanwhile, Kirk was rebooted for JJ Abrams' Star Trek in 2009, where he was played by Chris Pine. Pine has since appeared in two additional films for the franchise, and many have praised his performance.

The rebooted Star Trek films operate on an alternate timeline, wherein the characters from the original series have been set on different paths thanks to interference from the Romulans. At the same time, the events of the original series did take place within this universe; it was just during a different tiemline. Because of this, Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, had a role in the first two installments, which led to some fans wondering if Shatner could join him. Rumors once suggested Shatner had been offered his own cameo in the 2009 Star Trek, but Shatner later stated they weren't true.

On social media, a fan asked Shatner if there's a chance he would ever appear alongside Pine in a future Star Trek project, with the two of them playing Kirk. Shatner's answer was quick and to the point: "Probably not but I'm fine with that." If fans were holding out hope that it could happen, they might need to adjust their expectations.

Back in June, Shatner indicated he wouldn't be opposed to returning as Kirk somehow, but only if it "wasn’t a cameo or gratuitous." Most likely, though, he would appear in Star Trek: Picard. The latest CBS All Access series brought back Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard and has already seen the returns of several other classic Star Trek characters. While Kirk is technically dead in Picard's time, there could be ways to bring him back if the writers (and Shatner) truly wanted to. However, as of June, Shatner said he hasn't been asked to join Picard, and he clearly doesn't seem optimistic about a movie return.

However, Pine's Star Trek movie future is also in question. Pine was last seen in 2016's Star Trek Beyond, and while there were plans for a Star Trek 4 soon after, development has gone all over the place. Paramount currently is considering three different Star Trekfilms, only one of which would use the reboot cast. However, as the plans have remained in flux over the years, it remains to be seen if Pine will ever step into the role of Kirk again. If he does, fans probably shouldn't expect Shatner to join him.

Source: William Shatner/Twitter

Source: screenrant.com