With Patrick Stewart returning to the Star Trek franchise, it is understandable if some have wondered if William Shatner would follow. It has been over 50 years since Shatner originated the role of James Tiberius Kirk on the original series. Is he interested in fronting his own Captain Kirk TV show? Well, the acting legend and pop culture icon responded regarding the potential of making a full-time return to television as the iconic character. Shatner said:
Right now I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I've been offered many series over the years. But I haven't done them because of the commitment of time. And at this stage of my life that's more valuable than anything else.
William Shatner's response regarding a Star Trek TV return makes total sense. The entertainment legend has been making rounds at fan conventions and the demanding schedule of a television show would certainly eat into that. Taking part in a television series full-time is a time-consuming process. That said, there is a silver lining to what William Shatner told The Star, and it provides quite a bit of hope.
In the story, William Shatner follows up by saying that he has not closed the door to making future guest appearances as Captain Kirk. He added that there would be significant hurdles in making it happen, including getting the green-light from Paramount. If that happened though, Shatner said that the interested parties would then have to get back with him to see where things were at in the process. Hopefully someone is already working on this.
It would be an amazing thing to have happen. And a full-circle opportunity for William Shatner and fans of the character he so compellingly brought to life throughout his career. So, while Shatner is not interested in playing Captain Kirk full-time again, he would not rule out reprising the role. News that is beyond exciting, if the powers that be can seize the opportunity they have, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Upon the news that Patrick Stewart would reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard, William Shatner extended his congratulations to his friend. In an interview with CinemaBlend's own Adam Holmes, the actor revealed that if he could play another role on Star Trek, it would be one of the series' storied Redshirts, with goal being to move on to another show quickly as actors cast to wear the crimson shirts were often doomed to have their characters die fast.
With his sharp sense of humor and Star Trek knowledge, William Shatner reprising his role would light up the internet. Fans will have to stay tuned to see if it ever happens. While we wait to see if it does, would it be too much to ask for Shatner to re-team with his Boston Legal co-star James Spader for a guest appearance on The Blacklist?
While William Shatner will not be heading up a reboot, the second season of Star Trek: Discovery is expected to arrive sometime in 2019. A release date for Patrick Stewart's Star Trek series has not been unveiled yet. For new television that will arrive this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.
