It's been more than 20 years since Captain Kirk seemingly met his demise in Star Trek Generations, but fans are still clamouring to see William Shatner return to his most famous role.
Shatner has thus far resisted following in co-star Leonard Nimoy's footsteps with a cameo in the J.J. Abrams rebooted film series, although he's frequently left the door open to making a return happen.
Now, there's not only the potential for Star Trek movies but also the critically-acclaimed new TV series Star Trek: Discovery. Has Shatner given a comeback any more thought recently?
"[It would take] a great deal of money," he chuckled to IGN. "I don't know what you'd do with a character who appeared 50, now 51 years ago. You know, I am 51 years older, with all the exigencies of age."
More seriously, Shatner does seem intrigued with the idea of exploring Kirk as an ageing, past-his-prime former hero of Starfleet.
"Are there stories to tell about an ageing guy?" he asked.
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He went on: "What would Captain Kirk be like 50 years later, with the sagacity of mind, and yet the body doesn't do what he wants it to do? I mean, it's an interesting story."
Shatner previously said he'd be open to appearing on Star Trek: Discovery only if he was "useful", which might make it a difficult fit.
After all, Discovery is set a decade before the events of the Original Series and is firmly rooted in the official continuity — not in a parallel universe like JJ's movies.
Maybe he could pop in as Kirk's grandfather? We'll leave the brainstorming up to Star Trek: Discovery's writers…
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
