With Star Trek 2 a foregone conclusion the questions arose as to just who would be in the film. One name we thought was forever lost to the franchise was William Shatner since his character died in Generations.
Well what would Star Trek be without a time travel plot device? Someone really has to put a lockdown on that tech … seriously.
Get the Big Picture quotes Abrams:
“The problem was his character died on screen in one of his Trek films and because we decided, very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could…the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do given the story we wanted to tell and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with.”
Adds the director-producer, “It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting.” But the past, as they say, is prologue. And now that the story can go new directions, Abrams says he’s “open to anything.”
So while Abrams is open to the idea, it doesn’t mean it will happen but this is a nice reminder that with Trek effectively getting a Reboot with this sequel, there is no reason we can’t see Shatner involved.
I could see them having Shatner appear, but he wouldnt neccessarily be the exact older James T Kirk that we all know from the original series. Perhaps he makes an appearance as future Kirk that shows Pine-Kirk what became of him later in life due to a choice he is about to make. Maybe Shat-Kirk will be the Kirk who comes back in time to change his own history… again.
I kind of hope they don’t go that way JUST to have Kirk involved. Let Shatner play Pine-Kirk’s grandfather or something like that just to suggest the family resemblance.
I want this new Trek to move forward, not bury itself in its own past.
