Star Trek: Kirk? - William Shatner Led Show Being Pitched To Paramount

It has been more than 30 years since William Shatner's final appearance in Star Trek, outside of the various video games and commercials. Death in most sci-fi franchises, and especially this one, is as fleeting as the actor and the writers want it to be. Captain Kirk has re-appeared portrayed by different actors. Most recently, on 18 November, Sam Witwer also stepped into the role for OTOY's 765874: Unification. Now, it seems Shatner himself is keener than ever to return to Star Trek.

During a special panel at Fan Expo Vancouver on Friday (21 February), Shatner announced, via The Direct, that he had "been contacted by a writer on one of Paramount's currently in-development Trek series". The 93-year-old actor went on to note:

I have been asked to come back as Kirk so many times. If Kirk is going to come back, it has to mean something. It has to be the show. But I was so impressed by this writer, so I said let's talk after I'm done in Vancouver. So I'm awaiting a pitch to make it the show, it should come on Monday or Tuesday.

There have been all sorts of rumours and possibilities pitched for Shatner's return ever since the "Oh, my" of Star Trek: Generations. One of the more notable pitches reportedly involved mirror Tiberius Kirk who had been trapped in a pocket universe by the Tantalus Field, only then to be stumbled upon by Captain Archer and crew. Of course, that idea for Star Trek: Enterprise never came to fruition. Revealed by TrekMovie, a scene was also tentatively written for Shatner as Kirk in Star Trek (2009), though evidently never filmed.

Shatner's strict prerequisites for a comeback aren't new either. In 2024, he told The Hollywood Reporter, in response to the question, that,

If they wrote something that wasn't a stunt that involved Kirk […], and it was something that was genuinely added to the lore of Star Trek, I would definitely consider it.

This time, from Vancouver, Shatner appears to be considering it seriously. We'll have to see what Monday and Tuesday bring. "In-development Trek series" could equally mean Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — season two, perhaps, at this point — Tawny Newsome and Justin Simien's live-action resort planet comedy, or even season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. A Paul Wesley fever dream? Each is as logical and as likely as the other.

Kirk's body was on ice at Daystrom Station by 2401 as part of the mysterious 'Project Phoenix'. That literally has 'rising from the ashes,' 'rising from the dead,' written all over it. Timeframe, timeline, and time travel are almost immaterial, especially when the (typically) by-no-books Section 31 is involved. In that sense, a direct or indirect follow-up to OTOY's version of events would also be welcomed. What did Kirk do after New Vulcan? Did he stay, or did he go back to what we assumed to be the Enterprise-J?

All that being said, Shatner's "to make it the show" already implies — with wild speculation — something grander than a dedicated episode or a special guest starring role. The latter is really the only fit for a series with other people in it, based on those other people in it. The best pitch could be for something brand new, therefore. Star Trek: Kirk does have a certain ring to it. It's either that or the horses and Ktarian eggs.