William Shatner's Captain Kirk died in Star Trek Generations, which hit movie theaters in 1994. Kirk's demise was the canonical end of the Captain of the Enterprise who was the centerpiece of Star Trek: The Original Series and the six movies that followed. 15 years later, Chris Pine was cast as the younger Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009), a role he played for three movies. However, Pine's Kirk existed in the alternate Kelvin Timeline. In Star Trek's Prime timeline, Kirk was dead and hadn't been seen since Star Trek Generations - until Paul Wesley.
Paul Wesley’s Kirk In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Was The Return Of Shatner’s Classic Captain
James T. Kirk Returned To Star Trek's Prime Universe
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" marked the long-awaited return of the Prime James T. Kirk. Paul Wesley portrayed an alternate reality Captain Kirk, who had to reset the broken Prime Timeline alongside Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) on a time travel mission to 21st century Toronto. At the end of "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," Lieutenant Kirk officially debuted when La'an contacted him through her PADD, as Kirk was stationed on the USS Farragut.
Paul Wesley's first portrayal of Captain Kirk was in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, "A Quality of Mercy." In an alternate future timeline where the United Federation of Planets was locked into a forever war with the Romulans, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) remained aboard the Starship Enterprise while Kirk was Captain of the Farragut. However, Wesley's inaugural version of Kirk was a grim and serious take fitting for his darker reality, and lacked the easygoing charm William Shatner brought to Captain Kirk.
Paul Wesley met William Shatner on an airplane shortly after he was cast as Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and he got Shatner's blessing to take over the iconic role.
By contrast, Paul Wesley infused Shatner-esque qualities into his alt-Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." This Kirk was more roguish, had a playful sense of humor, and was a genuine romantic foil for La'an, which are qualities Wesley carried over into Lieutenant James T. Kirk in his next two appearances in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
La’an Became A Better Character Because Of Kirk
Kirk Is The Catalyst For La'an's Character Evolution
Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh is an original character introduced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Christina Chong quickly made La'an into one of the prequel's most endearing and fascinating faces. La'an is a descendant of Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), and she is defined by fear of becoming like Khan, as well as the trauma from surviving a Gorn abduction as a child. La'an closes herself off from personal interactions and counted only Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) as a close friend.
However, La'an fell in love with Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." La'an then tragically lost Kirk when he was killed a Romulan temporal saboteur named Sera (Adelaide Kane). Yet La'an' all-too-brief time with Kirk inspired her to "change her paradigm." La'an now looks to become a more open person, and the possibility of a romantic pairing with Lt. James T. Kirk exists in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. La'an's personal evolution is an exciting prospect, and it's directly tied to Kirk.
Kirk Was Missing For Years Until Strange New Worlds & Paul Wesley Brought Him Back To Star Trek
Chris Pine's Kelvin Timeline Captain Was Star Trek's Only Kirk
Between the death of William Shatner's Captain Kirk in 1994's Star Trek Generations and Paul Wesley coming aboard Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 as Lieutenant James T. Kirk, Star Trek's Prime Timeline soldiered on without Kirk for an astounding 29 years. Star Trek: Discovery reintroduced a younger Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) in the Prime Timeline in 2018, but Kirk remained dead since Star Trek Generations in the Prime Timeline until Paul Wesley finally brought back a youthful version of William Shatner's Captain Kirk.
In 2009, Chris Pine made believers out of Star Trek fans who claimed no one could play Captain Kirk but William Shatner. Pine boiled Kirk down to his base components: a youthful bravado, his statue as a ladies man, and a bold instinct for heroism and command. Yet as great as Pine was as Captain Kirk, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies took place in alternate reality separate from the saga that began with Star Trek: The Original Series and continued in every Star Trek TV series and the first 10 Star Trek movies.
From 2016 until 2022, Captain Kirk was once again absent from Star Trek until Paul Wesley.
Kirk Will Only Become More Important In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Strange New Worlds Will See A Lot More Of Kirk
Thus far, Lieutenant James T. Kirk has been a recurring guest star on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. However, Kirk's importance will only increase in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 and season 4, which has begun production in Toronto. By virtue of receiving a Strange New Worlds season 3 character portrait, Paul Wesley is assured to return as Kirk in the upcoming episodes. Wesley is also expected to reprise Kirk in Strange New Worlds season 4.
Hopefully, Star Trek won't have to endure another long drought without Kirk.
After an absence of nearly 30 years, Paul Wesley and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds brought the future Captain Kirk back to Star Trek's Prime Timeline with William Shatner's youthful swagger and vitality intact. Hopefully, Star Trek won't have to endure another long drought without Kirk, with Paul Wesley perhaps playing the role as Kirk eventually becomes the Captain of the Enterprise.
