Star Trek fans had their year made when it was announced last month that Patrick Stewart was returning as Captain Jean-Luc Picard for a brand new show to be released on CBS All Access. This will be the first time that the iconic star has revisited his role in well over a decade and makes it abundantly clear that the network’s eager to explore Trek‘s rich past. Does that mean we should expect to see other icons from the franchise return as well, though? Perhaps, and at least when it comes to William Shatner, he isn’t ruling it out.
The actor, of course, led the ensemble cast in Star Trek: The Original Series which ran from 1966-69 before going on to appear in the accompanying films right up until 1994’s Star Trek: Generations. With Stewart now making a return though, it’s tempting to imagine Shatner coming back as well. And while he’d recently stated that he was done with the franchise, he’s now changed his tune, it seems.
Speaking with TrekMovie, the legendary actor admitted that he’d be happy to reprise the role, but only if it was for something meaningful.
If they can find a way of writing a 50 years older captain and it was meaningful and had something to do with the plot, I would jump at the chance.
So, there you have it, Trekkies; the great William Shatner could one day return to the franchise somewhere down the road. But before we get too excited about Captain Kirk potentially making his way to the flight deck once again, we should warn you that the actor seems to be in no hurry to reprise his Star Trek role anytime soon, with Shatner saying the following recently:
Right now I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I’ve been offered many series over the years. But I haven’t done them because of the commitment of time. And at this stage of my life, that’s more valuable than anything else.
Of course, the biggest issue with a return is that Kirk met his maker back in Generations, which saw him officially pass the torch onto Stewart’s Picard. Still, death is usually pretty flexible in the Star Trek world. In fact, Shatner’s even said in the past that J.J. Abrams offered him a role back in 2016’s Beyond, though it never came to be.
Regardless, here’s hoping that Discovery, or perhaps Stewart’s show finds a way to bring him back, even if it’s just for a brief cameo. Or, failing that, maybe Star Trek 4 will carve out room for him? Either way, we’ll be sure to keep you posted should any further updates beam up.
