How Shatner MIGHT Have Appeared in the New Star Trek

Published by Jeff Leins on: May 12th, 2009

Last year director/producer J.J. Abrams revealed he had offered a small part in the new Star Trek to the William Shatner, but the actor declined and refused to be included in merely a cameo.  Instead the original Kirk was very vocal about not being given a significant role like his crewmate Leonard Nimoy (Old Spock).

Abrams said they “actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, it didn’t quite feel right.” At the time he pointed to staying faithful to the Trekkie canon.

Writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman recently talked to i09 about what they wrote for Shatner in the event he wanted to be in the film.  Warning: quote contains spoilers.

“The very last scene when Spock and Spock meet each other, finally. And elder Spock is convincing young Spock that he couldn’t interfere, because it would have diverted [Kirk and Spock] away from their friendship. And that their friendship is the key to the whole sort of shebang.” Elder Spock would have handed young Spock (Zachary Quinto) a hologram recorded message from Old Kirk (Shatner).  In it Kirk wishes Spock Happy Birthday before he leaves for Romulus and Kirk would be dead by the time the message reached him.  It then turns into a voice over at the end of the film.

I’m personally glad Shatner turned it down.  The obvious references to the show’s catch phrases were enough to bother me during what was an otherwise good movie.  Having Shatner show up at the end in a “hey, remember me?” bit would have seem forced and cringe-worthy.