I was wondering... Why; even though he has been in his share of Star Trek, was William Shatner not in the newest movie? I thought it was awesome Leonard Nimoy was in it, but was that because he was only necessary? Some might have found it, for lack of a better word, 'cheesy' for William Shatner to have made a cameo in the film, but I for one would've enjoyed it. What are your opinions on the matter??
Mr. Shatner
- Thread starter iamjane
- Start date
I think having Shatner in the movie would've made the film "artificially complete" as if his part was jammed in there for the simple sake of paying homage. While it would've been great to see him, I think the writers would have had to come up with a very believable explanation which might have ultimately resulted in too convoluted of a story. The film itself is fast-moving and involved enough as it is.
Star Trek Generations pretty much shot down the idea years ago of him being in the new film. It was a crappy way to go out, and while I like the way Shatner wrote Kirk's re-birth in his novelizations, I'd find it hard-pressed that the studio would've found a credible way to bring him back at the age Shatner currently is.
Star Trek Generations pretty much shot down the idea years ago of him being in the new film. It was a crappy way to go out, and while I like the way Shatner wrote Kirk's re-birth in his novelizations, I'd find it hard-pressed that the studio would've found a credible way to bring him back at the age Shatner currently is.
Not to mention the fact that even if they found a logical story method for getting him in the film, he doesn't LOOK now like the Shat of the TOS movie era.
Movie days
Nowadays
Nimoy at least still has his Spock build. The post-Trek years haven't been as kind to Shat.
Movie days
Nowadays
Nimoy at least still has his Spock build. The post-Trek years haven't been as kind to Shat.
Supposedly he told JJ Abrams that he "didn't do cameos" and wanted Old Kirk Prime to be integral to the plot. So the birthday greeting tape, that had been written as a stop gap, wasn't needed.
My suggestion would be to use Bill Shatner as the villain (or one of them at any rate) in the next film.
With my fanboy hat on, I'd cast him as Emperor Tiberius from the Mirror Universe, a version of Kirk's briefly mentioned grandfather... with Pine, Quinto, Urban etc all playing their counterparts. The Terran Empire having studied their history and where the Defiant really came from, are planning a full scale invasion. They discover a rift which leads them to this new universe's Laurentian System... not where they originally planned to go, but once there they discover a Federation significantly weakened by Nero's actions.
My other request would be that they come from the same parallel dimension seen in ENT & TOS... that way the Abramsprise can go up against an Enterprise more closely based on the original. Some tweaks to the design, so that it holds up on the big screen but the same recognisable icon... in enemy hands.
*EDIT*
Actually scratch all that. It's too much and would completely lose the new audience. It takes away from the point of having a fresh start doesn't it? As a consquence, Bill has probably missed his chance... He turned down appearing on ENT Season 4, that was supposedly a significant role, which might've even saved the show from the axe for another year and therefore another guest shot in all probability. He then said he wasn't interested in doing a cameo for JJ Abrams. He should give up and accept that he passed up two golden opportunites already.
The next film should look at the 5 year mission of exploration and how such a young, inexperienced Captain could possibly be given a prestigious task like that. In this a whole new reality, they should perhaps steer clear of reimagining elements that were already perfect to begin with (MU, Khan, the Guardian, Tribbles) and instead create either new or improve poorly realised characters and situations that had potential. Take that kind of thing to a new level and it has no worries about falling short.
With my fanboy hat on, I'd cast him as Emperor Tiberius from the Mirror Universe, a version of Kirk's briefly mentioned grandfather... with Pine, Quinto, Urban etc all playing their counterparts. The Terran Empire having studied their history and where the Defiant really came from, are planning a full scale invasion. They discover a rift which leads them to this new universe's Laurentian System... not where they originally planned to go, but once there they discover a Federation significantly weakened by Nero's actions.
My other request would be that they come from the same parallel dimension seen in ENT & TOS... that way the Abramsprise can go up against an Enterprise more closely based on the original. Some tweaks to the design, so that it holds up on the big screen but the same recognisable icon... in enemy hands.
*EDIT*
Actually scratch all that. It's too much and would completely lose the new audience. It takes away from the point of having a fresh start doesn't it? As a consquence, Bill has probably missed his chance... He turned down appearing on ENT Season 4, that was supposedly a significant role, which might've even saved the show from the axe for another year and therefore another guest shot in all probability. He then said he wasn't interested in doing a cameo for JJ Abrams. He should give up and accept that he passed up two golden opportunites already.
The next film should look at the 5 year mission of exploration and how such a young, inexperienced Captain could possibly be given a prestigious task like that. In this a whole new reality, they should perhaps steer clear of reimagining elements that were already perfect to begin with (MU, Khan, the Guardian, Tribbles) and instead create either new or improve poorly realised characters and situations that had potential. Take that kind of thing to a new level and it has no worries about falling short.
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I don't think fans, or at least some of them, would be ready to accept William Shatner in any role other than -the- James T. Kirk. Perhaps if they had him be the older Kirk from the new universe that would work, but having him be Mirror Kirk or Kirk's grandfather or Kirk's cousin twice removed would just feel like a cheat.
Shatner turned down a significant role in ENT S4? I did not know that. It may very well have saved the show for another year with that one appearance. People watching that one show may have tuned in for another. I can only imagine what his wage demands were.
IIRC, he was sought to play the mentioned-but-never-yet-seen character of Chef. The idea was reinvented for Jonathan Frakes in the finale, which many people would rather forget.
^ Oh, I remember reading something about that - you jogged the old noggin. I didn't think that was serious, though.
No, it was one of two serious story proposals.
From British magazine SFX a few years back...
There was a version of In A Mirror, Darkly which would have involved Kirk, or actually Emperor Tiberius.
Another story would have tied in his appearance with the show's Temporal Cold War arc, with the ship's unseen Chef joining Archer on a mission to the future. Undoubtedly a more off-beat episode than anything attempted by ENT. Bill Shatner's character having to fool some enemy into thinking they're dealing with the legendary James T. Kirk... Scott Bakula bringing some of that QL comedy stuff to the table, in reaction to Shatner's scenery chewing might've been fun to watch, if you ask me.
From British magazine SFX a few years back...
There was a version of In A Mirror, Darkly which would have involved Kirk, or actually Emperor Tiberius.
Another story would have tied in his appearance with the show's Temporal Cold War arc, with the ship's unseen Chef joining Archer on a mission to the future. Undoubtedly a more off-beat episode than anything attempted by ENT. Bill Shatner's character having to fool some enemy into thinking they're dealing with the legendary James T. Kirk... Scott Bakula bringing some of that QL comedy stuff to the table, in reaction to Shatner's scenery chewing might've been fun to watch, if you ask me.
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^Thank you for that; I don't recall seeing that one before. I really enjoyed reading that with my coffee this AM. Now I am wishing that they had settled on one of the two storylines. Either could have worked well. Disappointing that Shatner bowed out simply because his idea wasn't the one accepted.
^ 
Somehow I think mainstream audiences would be turned off just as much as many Trekkers would if Shatner was in the movie. Shatner is a cornball ham, he doesn't have Leonard Nimoy's dignity, so having him show up as an old fat Kirk would not have gone over well. It's like we're doing this movie about the young cool Elvis from 1955, and then we trot out the old, overweight hammy Elvis from 1977...no, it would not be good.
Or, to put it more correctly:
Nimoy wisely stepped out of GEN. Shatner didn't. AND regretted since, to boot.
It was good idea not to have him in XI as there wasn't really a place for him. I have noticed that (unless I missed an episode) he has never been in any of the series in a small role, Bones and Scotty were in TNG and Spock turns up everywhere, admittedly Kirk is dead but they could've worked him in someway - they did use him in Trials and Tribulation with scenes cut in from Troubles with Tribles.
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