JJ Abrams says TOS Kirk will never return

[Crazy Eddie]

TOS Kirk, no, but Shatner could make a cameo as "old Kirk" in a Star Trek film that includes scenes from the far future.

Another thing to consider is the possibility of doing a version of TNG in the Kelvin timeline. Canon howlers notwithstanding, I fee like the best way to do that would be to have an older and close-to-retirement Admiral Kirk recruiting Jean Luc Picard to command a brand new Enterprise on its maiden voyage.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Bring back Rick Berman!

 

[Ssosmcin]

See... I just don't like those kind of ideas. I can't speak for everyone, but for me, the reason i'd want Shatner back is to specifically end his Kirk on a better note than Generations did.

Star Trek 2009 had the scene to really make that happen, and after reading the original scripted ending versus what we got, I actually do feel it's absence. It would have been that one last little surprise at the very end.

The next opportunity that would have made sense would be the 50th anniversary, but Beyond is already completed. So that won't happen.

So any genuine opportunity that won't feel completely lame, and cheesy has come and gone I think. I don't really want to see "Shatner playing nuKirk's great granddad" or things along the lines of what Enterprise was rumored to do, have him playing some side character dude... No. If Shatner isn't playing old James T. Kirk, I really don't want to see him. Anything other than that would pull me from the movie because it would be such a huge ginormous wink at the audience.

When Spock made his appearance in 2009, *finger snap* immediate lump in my throat. Shot me right in the childhood memories. That was a magical cinematic moment. A real passing of the torch from as far back in Trek history as we can go, the guy who was there from the very beginning, to the absolutely freshest of fresh-faced actors/versions of a character we've had. One generation shaking hands with another.

So as someone who really did want to see Kirk return, when it would have worked, I agree with JJ. It's got no juice behind it at this point.

This. Very much this. All of it.

I'd love to know the original scripted ending. I need to find that...

 

[Relayer1]

I posted an idea for a cameo a while back. I can't find it but it went something like this :

Cockpit view, New Vulcan comes into view over the pilots shoulder. He presses a button, pauses, and repeats. A few moments later, Spock Prime appears on the screen.

The viewpoint shifts to show the pilots face - Kirk Prime who grins and says 'Spock, you're a hard man to find !'

Spock pauses as recognition dawns. He raises an eyebrow - 'Jim ! But you were...'

Kirk - 'Long story - I'll fill you in later, we're pressed for time. Prepare to beam up, we're going home !'

Spock, quizzically, other eyebrow rising to join the first - 'Indeed !'

Exterior shot of the jellyfish ship breaking orbit...


No further explanation required. Fanwanky, requiring a CG Nimoy which will upset folks and Shat agreeing to a very brief cameo ? Certainly, but I'd like it...

 

[OpenMaw]

I'd love to know the original scripted ending. I need to find that...

Basically, in the original concept, Spock Prime had some kind of a pendant/necklace thing with a hologram on it that he was carrying throughout the film, and it was revealed in the final moments of the film. Basically, Spock Prime used it as the last push to convince Young Spock that he and Kirk really were close friends.

I love the feelings it instill. Much like Tom Baker's surprise appearance in Day of the Doctor... It just works for me.

From the script:

Spock Prime moves to the door. Stops. Offers the VULCAN SALUTE:

SPOCK PRIME (CONT'D)
As my customary farewell would appear
oddly self serving, I will simply say...
good luck.

Their eyes hold. Spock turns, disappearing into the corridor.
Young Spock stares at the empty doorway a beat, his mind a
jumble of thoughts. Looks to the pendant... and realizes it's a
HOLO-EMITTER. After considering a beat, he hits an activation
button and a MOVING HOLOGRAPHIC MESSAGE materializes before him:

CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK. WILLIAM SHATNER. As always, brash, wry,
confident -- and SINGING:

KIRK/ SHATNER
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to
you...
(stops, grins)
I know I know, it's illogical to
celebrate something you had nothing to do
with, but I haven't had the chance to
congratulate you on your appointment to
the ambassadorship so I thought I'd seize
the occasion... Bravo, Spock -- they tell
me your first mission may take you away
for awhile, so I'll be the first to wish
you luck... and to say...
(beat, emotional)
I miss you, old friend.
136
CONTINUED: (3)
... and we're PUSHING IN on Young Spock, taking in the image of
Kirk's future self, the message, but above all -- the clear,
unquestionable friendship these two men had...

INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
As Spock Prime walks off down the corridor, he passes right by a
man conferring with a nurse -- the man pauses, turns... it's
SAREK. Suddenly overcome by a feeling that the stranger who's
just passed him is... oddly familiar.

KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I suppose I'd always imagined us...
outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching
life swing us into our Emeritus years...

INT. STARBASE ONE - HANGAR - ETERNAL NIGHT
MUSIC BUILDING -- glass walls reveal THE ENTERPRISE at dock,
UTILITY CRAFTS floating around it, repairing. Standing at
attention in rows, THE ENTERPRISE CREW -- over four hundred of
them wearing DRESS UNIFORMS -- TRACK DOWN the faces, all proud:

KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I look around at the new cadets now and
can't help thinking... has it really been
so long? Wasn't it only yesterday we
stepped onto the Enterprise as boys?
That I had to prove to the crew I
deserved command... and their respect?

And we STOP ON YOUNG KIRK. Composed, focused, proud. A man.
And to every fan's delight, finally wearing his YELLOW SHIRT.
The FEDERATION COMMANDANT stands at a podium:

COMMANDANT
This assembly calls Captain James
Tiberius Kirk...

Kirk breaks from formation, pivots, marches down the hangar --
past UHURA... SULU... CHEKOV... SCOTTY. All Beaming. Notably
absent, is Spock. Kirk ascends the stairs, snaps to attention:

COMMANDANT (CONT'D)
Your inspirational valor and supreme
dedication to your comrades are in
keeping with the highest traditions of
service and reflect utmost credit to
yourself, your crew, and the Federation.
By Starfleet Order 28455, you are hereby
directed to report to Commanding Officer,
USS Enterprise, for duty as his relief.
137
CONTINUED:
Kirk turns. Walks to... PIKE. In a wheelchair now, wearing an
ADMIRAL'S UNIFORM. Overnight, his hair's turned totally grey --
but despite his trauma, his pride's overwhelming. They SALUTE
each other:

KIRK
I relieve you, Sir.

PIKE
... I am relieved.

He opens a BOX in his lap -- glorious in repose, a MEDAL:

PIKE (CONT'D)
And as Fleet Admiral, for your... unique
solution to the Kobayashi Maru, it's my
honor to award you with a commendation
for original thinking.

Pike containing a smirk, pins the medal to Kirk's chest...

PIKE (CONT'D)
(a touch choked)
Congratulations, Captain.

KIRK
Thank you, Sir.

Kirk turns to the crowd. Eyes shining. WILD APPLAUSE. OUR
MUSIC SOARS. Bones leans in to Sulu, rolling his eyes:

BONES
... Same ship, different day.

As Kirk rejoins his crew for hugs and congratulations, we go to
the BACK of the hangar... SPOCK PRIME. Watching. Moved beyond
words. He turns and leaves them to it... as he goes...

KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I know what you'd say -- `It's their turn
now, Jim...' And of course you're
right... but it got me thinking:

INT. STARFLEET HOSPITAL - EARTH - DAY
Our montage comes full circle as we END on Kirk's transmission:

KIRK/SHATNER
Who's to say we can't go one more round?
By the last tally, only twenty five
percent of the galaxy's been chartered...
I'd call that negligent. Criminal even --
an invitation.
(MORE)
138
CONTINUED:
KIRK/SHATNER (CONT'D)
You once said being a starship captain
was my first, best destiny... if that's
true, then yours is to be by my side. If
there's any true logic to the universe...
we'll end up on that bridge again
someday.

Stops, grins. Because this is the part he needs to say most...

KIRK
Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the
journey itself... is home.

Young Spock's face. Lost in feelings that flood through him.

 

[Franklin]

^^^^^^^^^^^
That's really not bad. Maybe a bit too sentimental. Also, Kirk's message may be too apt or spot on for the situation (it fits almost too well to what's going on as Spock listens to it). But I still think that would've been a perfect way to end the movie if ST09 had coincided with the 50th anniversary.

 

[BlastHardcheese]

Just saw Star Trek Beyond today. Chris Pine is Kirkier than he's ever been. The movie feels like Trek. All the main characters get to shine. They look and feel like the family that original Trek made of them. Shatner would absolutely ruin everything by showing up.

 

[stardream]

*Takes a moment to appreciate the word 'Kirkier'.*

 

[Brainsucker]

Why Shatner has to be the old Kirk / the old prime universe Kirk? He can just take the role of Kirk's uncle, whose the car was stolen by the Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek. It is already a justified for Shatner return to the screen.

 

[Search4]

Denny Crane.

Sorry I just miss Shatner.

 

[ChristopherPike]

A cunning move from JJ me thinks.

 

[Commishsleer]

I posted an idea for a cameo a while back. I can't find it but it went something like this :

Cockpit view, New Vulcan comes into view over the pilots shoulder. He presses a button, pauses, and repeats. A few moments later, Spock Prime appears on the screen.

The viewpoint shifts to show the pilots face - Kirk Prime who grins and says 'Spock, you're a hard man to find !'

Spock pauses as recognition dawns. He raises an eyebrow - 'Jim ! But you were...'

Kirk - 'Long story - I'll fill you in later, we're pressed for time. Prepare to beam up, we're going home !'

Spock, quizzically, other eyebrow rising to join the first - 'Indeed !'

Exterior shot of the jellyfish ship breaking orbit...


No further explanation required. Fanwanky, requiring a CG Nimoy which will upset folks and Shat agreeing to a very brief cameo ? Certainly, but I'd like it...

Best idea ever!

But have it on the directors version of the movie only
So that they can make more money on the DVD sales. That would motivate them.
And you know I think Shatner would agree to a small role once you get past all the bluster

 

[Overgeeked]

“Obviously it’s Star Trek, nearly anything is possible. There’s the fairly simple notion that on the day Kirk was born another timeline began. But in the other timeline, Kirk died onscreen (in Generations). I don’t know how he would come back unless we went into this other reality and we did a timeline and reality jump.

“In all the years we’ve been working on this, I've yet to hear a pitch that didn’t sound too contorted and contrived for an audience to swallow. And I’ve talked to him (Shatner) about it. If Kirk had lived there’d be an answer. But there’s something about his having died that makes it impossible.”

Says it all.

Ironic. Abrams talking about contorted and contrived.

 

[Mudd]

Ironic. Abrams talking about contorted and contrived.

Yeah, it's like he actually has watched a lot of Star Trek - isn't it?

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

As much as I love Shatner, his days as Kirk are over. Pine is Kirk now. Let's just accept that.

 

[mlk]

Well is it really that contrived? In this timeline The Enterprise B was maybe created on another date, Kirk never died, he lived happily and peacefully. They could easily get back THIS timelines old Kirk, not the TOS/movies timeline but this timeline for sure.

 

[Commishsleer]

I don't think Abrams is a good enough director to make Shatner act and not play Kirk as Denny Crane or something.

He's probably read Meyers account of how hard it was to get Shatner to play Kirk properly in "Wrath of Khan" and decided it's all too hard

Of course Abrams could be messing with us

 

[The Wormhole]

They should just take a page from Doctor Who and have Shatner play a mysterious old man with unsubtle indications he could be an older Kirk but nothing ever spelled out directly. Have him and Chris Pine share a scene in which they set up the plot for the next movie.

 

[The Toddler]

They should just take a page from Doctor Who and have Shatner play a mysterious old man with unsubtle indications he could be an older Kirk but nothing ever spelled out directly. Have him and Chris Pine share a scene in which they set up the plot for the next movie.

Sounds great. Or they could even record something with William Shatner now and use it when it looks to be the last nuTrek TOS film. Just be very vague about it, and let the audience/fans debate about which version of Kirk we've just seen. Anything that get the taste of Generations out of peoples' mouths and gives Shatner a better finale.

 

[OpenMaw]

^^^^^^^^^^^
That's really not bad. Maybe a bit too sentimental. Also, Kirk's message may be too apt or spot on for the situation (it fits almost too well to what's going on as Spock listens to it). But I still think that would've been a perfect way to end the movie if ST09 had coincided with the 50th anniversary.

It is very sentimental, but that's why I am in love with it. I can see Shatner's entire performance, hear his words. It's perfect in that regard. I also like the cross-stitching we have going on. Spock Prime peps NuKirk. Kirk Prime peps NuSpock. Like a couple of whispy old men reaching into the past, to their younger selves and saying "Hey, you know how you don't seem to fit in? Well, it's okay, that person right over there? They're going to see you through all of it. The best of times, and the worst of times."

Why Shatner has to be the old Kirk / the old prime universe Kirk? He can just take the role of Kirk's uncle, whose the car was stolen by the Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek. It is already a justified for Shatner return to the screen.

For some of us it's not about just Shatner. It's about Shatner playing the older version of Kirk. I really couldn't care if Shatner himself returns, but seeing him AS KIRK one more time would resonate incredibly if it were done right.

Unfortunately, as I said I feel earlier, the time for that has passed. It wouldn't work anymore. The golden organic opportunities for it are gone.