3 reasons why William Shatner shouldn't return as Captain Kirk in 'Star Trek 3'

Will Perkins
·Blogger
(Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
(Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

A classic “Star Trek” reunion more than 20 years in the making might be happening very soon. If the stars align, William Shatner may reprise the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the upcoming “Star Trek 3."

According to Badass Digest, the “Star Trek 3” script (co-written by new director Roberto Orci) currently includes a scene that reunites the classic versions of Kirk and Spock (played by Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, respectively). Nimoy made cameo appearances in both 2009’s “Star Trek” and its sequel, 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness,” but the pair hasn't been seen together as those characters since 1991's "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." Shatner last played Kirk on the big screen since 1994's "Star Trek: Generations," and when it comes to the "Trek" reboots, he's had a somewhat rocky relationship with them.

Whether the Canadian actor decides to return to the final frontier is still unknown, but it appears Orci has left the door open for him. But is it a good idea for Shatner to reprise the role after so long? Probably not. Does "Star Trek 3" really gain anything by bringing the original Kirk on board? Not really. Here are three reasons why Shatner returning as Captain Kirk is a bad idea:

Shatner’s Captain Kirk is dead (no matter how much we all wish we could forget 'Generations')
With things like time travel, alternate realities, and super healing blood, is anyone ever truly dead in the Star Trek universe? Technically no, but Shatner’s Captain Kirk died pretty definitively on-screen back in 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations” (twice!), doing what he did best - saving the galaxy.

Kirk’s “Generations” death was a bittersweet moment for fans that served as the official passing of the torch between the original TV series cast and the “Next Generation” crew, led by Patrick Stewart. It’s still a sore point for fans, but to bring the Captain back for “Star Trek 3” would probably require a whole lot of convoluted explanation and complicated retconning. That, or a sad Spock could just load up a virtual version his old friend in the Holodeck somehow. It wouldn’t be the first time “Trek” has done this sort of thing, but either way it’s a little cheap.

The reboots need a clean break

Paramount
Paramount

Whenever a famous franchise gets the Hollywood reboot treatment, passing the torch in some way is to be expected. By integrally involving a member of the original cast (Leonard Nimoy, reprising the role of Spock) and actually building upon established continuity, 2009’s “Star Trek” featured a whole lot more torch-passing than most series ever benefit from. Thanks to the ever-convenient plot device that is time travel, the rebooted “Trek” universe was itself a product of events that occurred in the classic series continuity.

It was a cool movie that let older fans know that there was still something there for them in the new “Star Trek.” It was also great to see Nimoy’s Spock on the big screen for the first time since 1991’s “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” But that’s where it should have ended. Instead of making a clean break with the old, 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness” awkwardly shoehorned Nimoy’s Spock into the proceedings to provide advice about Khan for the new Enterprise crew. Will Chris Pine's version of Captain Kirk forever rely on the advice of old Spock? That’s just lazy plotting! It’s time to move on.

Fan service for whom?

(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

Despite what directors J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci say, the new “Star Trek” movies ultimately aren’t made for fans of the classic Trek TV shows and movies. Sure, there are fun nods and references to the originals, but these moves are blockbuster adaptations of beloved source material made to be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible.

Put plainly, the new films are not well liked by hardcore Trekkies. In 2013, old guard fans named “Star Trek Into Darkness” the worst Trek movie ever. Coming from people who’ve probably seen the truly awful William Shatner-directed “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” more times than you can imagine, that’s really saying something.

So who is reuniting old school Kirk and Spock in “Star Trek 3” even supposed to impress? It’s fan service for fans who have already tuned out and who are unlikely to be won over at this point.

The “Star Trek 3” reunion may not even happen, but for people who consider themselves fans of both old and new "Trek," seeing the original Kirk and Spock share the screen once more would be a treat. But that Venn diagram of fans is very small, and likely shrinking.

The original Captain Kirk and Spock had their goodbye in “Star Trek VI.” Let that be how fans remember them, not as old men out of place in a blockbuster that doesn’t particularly need them.

 

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