Chris Pine Was Great, But The Kirk Actor Star Trek Turned Down Would've Been Amazing Too

A Marvel actor almost portrayed Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009), a role that went to Chris Pine. J.J. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise with an entirely new cast portraying Captain Kirk and his Starship Enterprise crew. Star Trek (2009) became a resounding success at the box office and among critics and viewers. Two sequels followed, but the first film was enough to launch the careers of many of the actors into superstardom. In addition to Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, and Simon Pegg all have successful Hollywood careers.

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Marvel actor Sebastian Stan revealed that he had been in the running to portray Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009). Stan said he "desperately wanted" the role and that he actually "got very close to" it. While Stan would likely have made a solid Kirk, everything worked out for the best. A couple of years later, in 2011, Stan landed the role of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, launching his career to another level in much the same way Star Trek launched Chris Pine's.

Sebastian Stan Would've Been A Great Captain Kirk For J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Movies

If Sebastian Stan Landed The Role Of Kirk, He Likely Wouldn't Have Been Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan has enjoyed a particularly strong year in 2024, with two buzzworthy films — A Different Man and the Donald Trump biopic, The Apprentice. Critics have praised Stan's performances in both films, proving what a high-caliber actor he has become. With his impressive list of credits, it's obvious Sebastian Stan would have made an amazing Captain Kirk. Sebastian Stan and Chris Pine have had similar career trajectories, with Stan achieving superstardom after his turn as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Sebastian Stan went on to portray Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier) in five subsequent Marvel Studios films, not counting uncredited cameos in Ant-Man and Black Panther. He also starred alongside Anthony Mackie's Falcon in Marvel Television's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and is set to star in the upcoming Thunderbolts*. Sebastian Stan has made Bucky a fan-favorite character, and he could undoubtedly have bought that same energy to Captain Kirk. Although Bucky Barnes and Kirk are very different characters, they both have charming personalities and similar senses of humor.

Why Chris Pine Was Still A Perfect Choice To Replace William Shatner As Kirk

Chris Pine Introduced A Whole New Generation To Captain Kirk

While it would have been cool to see Sebastian Stan's take on Captain Kirk, Chris Pine did an excellent job portraying the Enterprise captain. Pine managed to capture the same swagger of William Shatner's Kirk from Star Trek: The Original Series, without simply impersonating him. Since J.J, Abrams' Star Trek films take place in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Pine's Kirk had a different upbringing than Shatner's character. Because of this, Pine's Kirk is more reckless and angrier than Shatner's Kirk. Pine portrays this difference beautifully, while still making Kirk feel fundamentally like the same character.

Chris Pine also had the right kind of chemistry with Zachary Quinto's Spock, as both actors perfectly portrayed their complex relationship from rivals to reluctant allies to friends. As such, Chris Pine's take on Kirk remains one of the highlights of Star Trek (2009) and its two sequels. Like Sebastian Stan, Pine has gone on to land several starring roles throughout his career, highlighting his range as an actor. Pine is familiar with superhero stories, as well, as he landed the role of Steve Trevor in DC's Wonder Woman in 2017. Pine also voiced a version of Peter Parker in 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.