Whether it's space or an out-of-this-world Fox reality television show, one can never predict where William Shatner may pop up next. With that said, it does seem like cameo appearances in Star Trek, the franchise he helped build, are more or less off the table. The actor seemingly took a jab at that while promoting an upcoming cameo with DC Comics.
If you're a fan of Star Trek who also dabbles in the world of DC superheroes, then you might want to head out to a comic book store in the coming days. William Shatner took to X to share and promote an upcoming comic book he will appear on the variant cover of, and it seems like he even made a joke about his reluctance to appear in Star Trek again. Take a look:
Run, don't walk to your local comic book shop TOMORROW (12/15) & pre-order your copy of @dcofficial's BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #25, with my cameo variant cover by @dan_mora_c! 😱🙌🏻Everyone knows I don't do cameos -for DC Comics I made an exception! It's on sale 3/19/24! pic.twitter.com/9FFf4QYIKGDecember 14, 2023
Based on the photo, it appears the Justice League all chipped in to get a photo opp with William Shatner at a convention. Jokes aside, it is cool to see the actor rocking his patented leather jacket in this cover for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #25, even if I would've rather seen him in a Starfleet uniform. Unfortunately, for various reasons, it seems we won't see him suit up for the franchise or anything like that for upcoming Star Trek shows.
It would appear that part of the reason William Shatner doesn't do cameos, namely for Star Trek, is his general issue with how they're done. Shatner went on the record and opened up about Leonard Nimoy's reprisal of Spock in 2009's Star Trek and called the appearance "gratuitous." In fairness, he seems to feel this way about cameos outside of Trek as well, which factored into him originally turning down The Big Bang Theory, only to agree later to appear.
Another factor regarding why William Shatner hasn't appeared in the modern television runs of Star Trek could be tied to his general comments made about the new era. Shatner remarked at San Diego Comic-Con that creator Gene Roddenberry would be "turning in his grave" after witnessing some of the newer shows. The comments didn't sit well with fans, nor those involved with the shows. Shatner's words spurred public responses from Strange New Worlds star Melisssa Navia, and Rod Roddenberry gave his own take on his father's thoughts.
Finally, Star Trek hasn't been afraid to recast key roles in its franchise, such as bringing Paul Wesley on as the James T. Kirk of the Prime timeline. That, plus the fact that Kirk's death in Star Trek Generations prevents an older version of the character from appearing, would make it rather hard for William Shatner to play Kirk. He could always play another character in a bit role, but as Shatner has indicated, he's not on board with "gratuitous" roles. He did just make an exception for DC Comics, however, so I'll continue to hold out hope that a return to Star Trek could happen.
For now, the only way to easily see William Shatner in Star Trek is to watch his previous appearances with a Paramount+ subscription. Thankfully, there's no shortage of content to watch, so maybe spend the next month or so revisiting some of his best work.
