10 Times When Star Trek Re-Cast Its Actors
4. Captain Kirk
In 1966, William Shatner beamed onto our screens as James R. Kirk (yes, R.), captain of the USS Enterprise. In three seasons, his Kirk became synonymous with Star Trek.
The second pilot of Star Trek The Original Series, Where No Man Has Gone Before, was an almost unprecedented show of faith by the studio after the first pilot, The Cage, had failed to win them over. Kirk was introduced as the rough and tumble captain that had not been present in the original pilot. The uniforms were hold overs from The Cage and the characters were still being fleshed out. Spock had undergone the studio changes and Kirk had yet to settle on a middle name. He would later change to James T. Kirk.
Shatner's Kirk was both emotional but able to display cool logic. He was constantly in command of the situations around him. He didn't believe in the no-win scenario but his confidence never strayed toward arrogance. Much has been said about his particular style of delivery but what is clear is that in the role, Shatner defined what it meant to be a leader.
Chris Pine took over the role in 2009's Star Trek. He brought a sense of youth to the character that had been lacking before. He was very clearly the childish and arrogant student that one might expect a young Kirk to be.
The pace of the film is breakneck and barely stops for breath but when it does, Pine shows that his Kirk has the ability to show depth. When he takes the bridge after his fight with Spock, there is a genuine sense of awe. Kirk has arrived in the captain's chair. And it is very believable.