James T. Kirk’s 4 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Appearances Explained

James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) has made four appearances in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 1 and 2, but complicating matters is how Wesley has played three different versions of Kirk in the Star Trek prequel. The highly anticipated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 premieres July 17 on Paramount+, and Wesley is confirmed to reprise Kirk as a Special Guest Star. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is also in production, which is expected to include Paul Wesley's Kirk.

While Chris Pine's version of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies lives in the alternate Kelvin Timeline, Paul Wesley is playing the younger version of Jim Kirk in Star Trek's Prime Timeline. Wesley's Kirk will become the same Captain James T. Kirk portrayed by William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series. By chance, Wesley met Shatner on an airplane shortly after being cast in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and got Bill's blessing to carry on Kirk's legacy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes place several years before Star Trek: The Original Series, with Strange New Worlds season 3 taking place in 2261. Captain Kirk doesn't take over the USS Enterprise from Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) until 2265. At this point, Kirk is a Lieutenant and the First Officer of the USS Farragut. Yet Lieutenant Kirk and alternate reality versions of Captain Kirk have found ways to appear on Strange New Worlds, all played by Paul Wesley.

4Captain James T. Kirk From An Alternate Future & Lt. James T. Kirk

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 10 - "A Quality Of Mercy"

Paul Wesley's debut as James T. Kirk was in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1's finale, "A Quality of Mercy." However, Wesley portrayed Captain Kirk from an alternate future. Strange New Worlds season 1's finale showed what would happen if Captain Pike avoided his dark future of being horribly disfigured by delta rays. Pike never turning the USS Enterprise over to Captain Kirk placed Chris in his own version of Star Trek: The Original Series' "Balance of Terror," but Pike plunges Starfleet into a forever war with the Romulans.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1's finale affirms that Captain Kirk's more decisive actions in "Balance of Terror" prevent a Romulan War, as opposed to Pike's attempt at diplomacy. Wesley's Captain Kirk lacks the charm and sparkle of William Shatner's Kirk, and this can be attributed to Wesley's Captain of the USS Farragut being more of a warrior than an explorer. Paul Wesley's younger Lieutenant James T. Kirk is also seen for the first time in a photo when Captain Pike accesses his Starfleet personnel file, setting the stage for Lt. Kirk's debut.

3Captain James T. Kirk From An Alternate Timeline & Lt. James T. Kirk

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3 - "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow"

Paul Wesley's second appearance as James T. Kirk was as another Captain Kirk from an alternate timeline. When Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) is charged with repairing Star Trek's broken Prime timeline, she enlists the help of Captain Kirk from the United Space Fleet Enterprise. Kirk and La'an time travel to 21st-century Toronto to discover a Romulan temporal operative named Sera (Adeleide Kane) tampering with history.

Tragically, Captain Kirk is murdered by the Romulan after Jim and La'an fall for each other. After La'an repairs the timeline, her version of Captain Kirk no longer exists. However, Paul Wesley officially debuts as Lieutenant James T. Kirk at the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," when La'an calls Jim up on her PADD to confirm that he still exists.

2Lieutenant James T. Kirk Helps Ensign Uhura

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 6 - "Lost In Translation"

Paul Wesley formally beams aboard the USS Enterprise as Lieutenant James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation." The newly promoted First Officer of the USS Farragut, Jim visits his older brother, Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), on the Enterprise. More significantly, Jim meets Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), who is haunted by alien manifestations of her late mentor, Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak).

After Uhura mistakenly punches Kirk, they work together to learn the truth about Bannon's Nebula and the aliens that reside there. Afterward, Uhura introduces Kirk to Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), forging the friendship that will continue for decades in Star Trek: The Original Series. Strange New Worlds' "Lost in Translation" is the first time Paul Wesley gets to fully embody Star Trek's Prime Universe James T. Kirk, exhibiting compassion, charm, and intelligence that evokes William Shatner's Captain Kirk.

1Lieutenant James T. Kirk Sings In Star Trek's Musical Episode

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 9 - "Subspace Rhapsody"

Paul Wesley's Lieutenant James T. Kirk beamed back aboard the Starship Enterprise for Star Trek's first-ever musical episode. This time, the rationale for Kirk returning to the Enterprise was to learn the finer points of being a Number One from Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn). Kirk was caught up in the anomaly that plunged the crew of the Enterprise into a musical, making everyone sing their deepest emotions and desires.

Lieutenants Kirk and La'an also began to explore their mutual attraction after La'an confesses that she feels similarly towards Jim as she did for the Captain Kirk she lost in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomrorow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." However, Kirk has a confession of his own: He has a pregnant girlfriend named Carol, who is Dr. Carol Marcus from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Potentially, if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues beyond season 4, it could eventually see command of the USS Enterprise transition from Captain Pike to Captain Kirk. Strange New Worlds has found novel ways to bring Kirk aboard the Enterprise despite his belonging to the USS Farragut. Kirk will be part of the genre-bending episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, and perhaps there will be even more innovative ways to include Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk in Captain Pike's voyages.