LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2026, 09:07 PDT
- William Shatner’s praise for Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk resurfaced after a new SlashFilm article revisited his past comments.
- The debate comes as Paramount’s big-screen Star Trek plans appear to be moving away from Pine’s Enterprise crew.
- Shatner has also backed Paul Wesley, the current Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
William Shatner, the original James T. Kirk, has been pulled back into Star Trek’s succession debate after a new SlashFilm report recapped his long-running approval of Chris Pine’s turn as the Enterprise captain. The article, published Tuesday, said Shatner had repeatedly spoken warmly about Pine’s version of the role.
The timing is not accidental, even if the comments themselves are not new. Pine’s future in the franchise remains uncertain, and trade reports have pointed to Paramount developing a fresh Star Trek film that would not continue the J.J. Abrams-era reboot led by Pine.
That makes Shatner’s view useful shorthand for a larger question: whether Kirk should be preserved as Shatner played him, or handed off without too much ceremony. His public answer has been steady. Pine did not need to copy him.
At a 2012 Wizard World event in New Orleans, TrekNews.net reported, Shatner called Pine “a lovely young man” and said the actor had the “demeanor” and “voice” for Kirk. He also called Pine “a good actor,” framing the casting as more than a resemblance play. Treknews
Pine first played James Kirk in Abrams’s 2009 Star Trek, opposite Zachary Quinto’s Spock. Paramount’s own listing describes Pine’s Kirk as a “delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy,” with the film built around his clash and eventual partnership with Spock. Paramount Pictures
The film launched what fans call the Kelvin Timeline — a separate branch of Star Trek continuity created by the reboot’s time-travel story. Pine later returned for Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, but the crew has not had a theatrical installment since 2016.
Shatner’s later comments were more reflective. SlashFilm cited a 2014 interview in which he said watching Pine play Kirk was like seeing “your mortality,” a blunt line from an actor watching a younger performer take over the part that defined much of his career. SlashFilm
The comparison now includes Paul Wesley, who plays Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. ScreenRant reported in 2024 that Shatner, asked about Pine and Wesley, said they were “wonderful” and joked that he wished he looked as good as they did. Screen Rant
But the risk for Paramount is clear. Shatner’s blessing can calm some fan anxiety, but it cannot settle the studio’s film strategy. The Hollywood Reporter reported in November that a new Star Trek movie was in the works without Pine’s Enterprise crew, leaving his Kirk respected by the franchise’s original star but without a confirmed next mission.
For now, the Kirk handoff looks less like a clean passing of the chair and more like an open file. Shatner’s comments give Pine and Wesley cover with longtime fans, yet the harder job sits with Paramount: turning that goodwill into a Star Trek screen future people will pay to see.
