Mega-fandoms will soon collide on The Big Bang Theory, which will finally feature Star Trek icon William Shatner as one of its highly lauded guest stars. Shatner will portray himself for the upcoming episode, in which the TV and film vet will show off some stereotypically nerdy behavior during a star-studded game of Dungeons and Dragons. (Kevin Smith, Joe Manganiello and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will also appear.) Check out the pic below, which shows Shatner looking baffled by something Leonard did or said.
Of course, William Shatner isn't the only one looking at Leonard as if he'd just referred to Captain Kirk as a "Star Wars character." NBA legend and Airplane! highlight Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also looks a bit perturbed, as does regular Big Bang guest star (and fellow Star Trek franchise vet) Wil Wheaton.
Wheaton, who plays himself on the CBS sitcom, is the catalyst for the episode's high-profile game night. When Sheldon and the others discover that Wheaton regularly hosts these celebrity D&D games, they all attempt to secure themselves the single open spot. It sounds like it'll be quite a mess, with "deception and betrayal" guiding the characters' actions.
Seems like Leonard wins out, though, unless that's just a dream sequence or something else along those lines. There are probably lots of Big Bang Theory viewers who are frequently engage in dreaming about Magic Mike vet Joe Manganiello and/or Kevin Smith – seen below – though I can't imagine the role-playing in those dreams is on the same level as Dungeons and Dragons.
Even if he doesn't get to watch William Shatner rolling dice and leveling up, Jim Parsons' Sheldon will definitely get to spend some screentime opposite the sci-fi legend. And as hard as it may be to believe, Sheldon won't be a sullen and sulking mope whenever he comes face to face with another one of his idols.
Just look at the beaming smiles on those faces.
While everyone involved with The Big Bang Theory was almost certainly pumped to get such a varied trio of guest stars like Kevin Smith, Joe Manganiello and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I think we can all agree that landing William Shatner was the icing on all the cakes. For years now, Shatner has been a sought-after Big Bang Theory guest star, but the actor had turned opportunities down in the past due to the story ideas not matching his own expectations.
It appears showrunner Steve Molaro and his writers ended up figuring out the right arc for William Shatner to slot himself into, since he'll finally be making his first appearance for the episode "The D&D Vortex." Fans can check out the trailer for the episode below.
The Big Bang Theory only has a short time left to deliver all of the big-named guest stars as it can, since Season 12 will be wrapping up in May, and the hit sitcom will be done for good. (Or at least until Jim Parsons agrees to come back at some point.) I'm hoping for Bob Newhart's ghost of Professor Proton to be in all the remaining eps, but what guest stars would you guys like to see?
Just one of many awesome shows filling up the midseason TV schedule, The Big Bang Theory airs every Thursday night on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET. The episode in question, "The D&D Vortex" will air on Thursday, February 21.
