Middle-Aged Kirk?

[Lord Garth]

ST XI marks the return of Young Kirk and it's entirely possible that if they continually recast from here on out, that Kirk will always be 30 -- give or take a few years -- but I think the idea of Middle-Aged Kirk is still interesting and a valid interpreation.

Before someone says "William Shatner is too old!", I'm not talking about William Shatner, and I'm not talking about an Old Kirk, just a middle-aged.

In a way, I wonder if a small part of Adama on the new Battlestar Galactica had some influences from Kirk in TWOK. Minor touches like the glasses, or something more major like initially having a strained relationship with a fully-grown son.

Either way, I think having someone who thinks his glory days are behind him when he doesn't know what's going to hit him next makes for a good set-up.

Do you think Kirk should eventually be allowed to become middle-aged again?

 

[roguephoenix]

like the age he was in the original series right? i doubt that will happen anytime soon or ever as the new movie is targetting younger audiences and want a "fresh" take on it all.

 

[Lord Garth]

^ Middle-aged as in 40s or 50s. Kirk was supposed to be around 50 in TWOK. According to Nick Meyer's commentary in TWOK, he wanted Kirk to be 49 but William Shatner didn't want to give Kirk an age. Then the Star Trek Chronology established Kirk as 52. So, yeah, either way, around 50.

The more I think about it, the more I think the territory was covered pretty well in TWOK, but I figured maybed I'd just put that question out there anyway.

Part of what will make ST XI unique is that it will deal with Kirk on the opposite end of his career.

So here I am disagreeing with the premise of my initial post.

 

[Kelso]

I'd love to see a new examination of that span of Kirk's life. I think it would be especially difficult for a man whose career peaked far too early. By age 40, his adventures were behind him and he found himself riding a desk... while other men of his age (and older) would have still been out in the field.

Perhaps Abrams and Pine will drag Kirk out of retirement 15-20 years from now to capitalize on the Trek09 nostalgia.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

If they play their cards right, Pine could keep playing Kirk into middle age. But I see no reason to prematurely age the guy just to jump forward. And recasting again, while there's a perfectly good actor available, would be too much. Give the guy a chance to make the role his own.

 

[Lord Garth]

But I see no reason to prematurely age the guy just to jump forward.

Of course not. I wouldn't want to see premature aging either. I'm thinking about Far-Future of Trek instead of just plain, old Future of Trek.

 

[roguephoenix]

^ Middle-aged as in 40s or 50s.

exactly. like his age on the original series. no way he was in his 30s.

 

[Lord Garth]

^ William Shatner was born in 1931. Star Trek came out in 1966.

 

[roguephoenix]

^ William Shatner was born in 1931. Star Trek came out in 1966.

wow, he looked really old. >_<

 

[Lord Garth]

We'll hit 35 eventually too.

 

[Phoenicianknight]

Yeah, like 8 years ago!

 

[Lowdarzz]

I've always been interested in a series set in that decade long gap between TMP and TWOK. In fact I kind of wish the new film was set in that era.

 

[darkshadow0001]

I seriously would like to see a Trek series post-Voyager. If they want to make movies with this new TOS cast, that's cool, but in a sense I want Star Trek to keep movie forward.

 

[hellsgate]

I already have plans to use a middle-aged 50's-60's Kirk as the C.O. of the Legacy-Class U.S.S. Exeter after losing his wife & son to The Totality. That's an excellent way to explain him, by the way. May I use that?

A Captain who's glory days are behind him & doesn't know what will hit him next...

A new class of ship & a new mission...

"Star Trek: Exeter"

 

[FalTorPan]

They need to show Kirk as an old fart, like McCoy was in "Encounter at Farpoint." He'd still woo the women.