Sebastian Stan recently revealed that he came close to landing the role of Captain James T. Kirk in director J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot. The casting process for Kirk was under a considerable amount of scrutiny at the time, considering how iconic William Shatner's portrayal of Kirk was. The coveted role would eventually go to Chris Pine, which catapulted the actor into stardom. Stan would find massive success two years later with his role as 'Bucky Barnes' in Captain America: The First Avenger.
During an appearance on Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz to promote his two new films — the Donald Trump biopic, The Apprentice, and the black comedy/thriller, A Different Man, Stan was asked if he missed out on any big roles that could have "changed everything." Stan responds that he was close to getting Kirk, going as far as shooting a screentest for Paramount Pictures. The Thunderbolts* actor went on to say that he even shot photos recreating famous Shatner poses in hopes that it would help land him the role. Here's what he had to say about it:
There were a couple things I didn’t get that I really, desperately wanted. Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams was one of the first things that I got very close to. I was really close and I had a screen test with him at Paramount studios and my manager had me do a separate photoshoot where I would try and replicate all of these William Shatner pictures just to send to [J.J.] to see how much I look like him and stuff. Didn’t get it.
What Pine's Casting In Star Trek Meant To Both Actors' Careers
They Had Similar Career Trajectories
Both Stan and Pine started their careers in the early 2000s, and both got their big break around the same time. Before becoming a household name, Stan appeared in small roles in films such as The Education of Charlie Banks and Spread. He landed a role opposite Ian McShane in the short-lived series, Kings, which would lead to a run on the series Gossip Girl, as well as parts in the films Hot Tub Time Machine and Black Swan. In 2011, he made his mark on the MCU as 'Bucky' Barnes, which put the actor on the map.
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Prior to Star Trek, Pine had only been in the entertainment business for six years. He had a few small roles in television shows such as E.R., Six Feet Under, and CSI: Miami, but in 2004, he landed the part of Nicholas Devereaux in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which put Hollywood on notice. He followed that up with roles in films like Smokin' Aces and Bottle Shock, before landing the starring role in Star Trek.
Our Take On Stan Losing The Role Of Kirk To Pine
The Right Man Got The Job
As previously stated, there were a lot of eyes on the casting of Captain James Kirk in Abams' Star Trek. Shatner is a tough act to follow. That said, Pine did an admirable job, of capturing Kirk's swagger without doing an impression of Shatner. Stan has proven time after time that he is a fantastic actor, but he doesn't quite possess the qualities necessary to pull off a Kirk. Plus had he been cast as Kirk, it's very possible that we would not have seen him appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
