William Shatner Says He’s Done With Star Trek

Thanks to CBS and über-producer Alex Kurtzman, the future of Star Trek is looking very, very bright at the moment.

Not only are the Powers That Be moving ahead with a second season of Discovery (replete with Spock and Captain Christopher Pike, no less!), but Kurtzman and his crack team have also drawn up plans for a separate Star Trek show featuring Patrick Stewart as the great Jean-Luc Picard.

Further details on that standalone series are being kept under wraps for the time being, and while CBS seems willing to explore all avenues when it comes to the franchise, the possibility of William Shatner pulling a Stewart and returning to headline a Captain Kirk spinoff appear slim to none.

We reported earlier this week that the actor had ruled out ever having his own series again, and though he did mention that he might be open to a guest spot on Discovery or another Trek show, it seems that his days of leading the USS Enterprise are behind him. Speaking to The Toronto Star, Shatner said that going boldly where no man has gone before just isn’t for him anymore, though he does wish his old friend nothing but the best.

“I’m wishing Patrick all the best. I hope he does really well going back to Star Trek, but that isn’t for me anymore.”

Of course, the biggest issue with a return for Shatner is that Kirk died back in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations, which saw him officially pass the torch onto Stewart’s Picard. Still, death is often 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 then that CBS somehow finds a way for him to return, 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.