In a surprising twist, an iconic ‘Star Trek’ actor actually wants back in the franchise
"I want to be part of it."
William Shatner, who originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s, is having second thoughts about the sentiment he expressed in his now-infamous Saturday Night Live skit, “Star Trek Convention,” in 1986. Years later, at least in CGI form, the OG Kirk is ready to return to the franchise.
Shatner’s relationship with the Trek fandom has always been somewhat wrought, as he wanted to be known for more than his fictional flight through the stars (his real-life trip to the stars has always been a different story). In the SNL skit, the OG Kirk told Trekkies “to get a life,” raising a giant middle finger to his fans by telling them he was done with the franchise.
Now, though, Shatner seems to have changed his mind about returning to the franchise—to an extent, at least. In a red-carpet interview with Collider at the 2025 Saturn Awards on Sunday, February 2, 2025, Shatner told the outlet about a potential return to Star Trek:
Well, the science of special effects is progressing to such a degree, and I want to be part of it. So, although I don’t want to do it again, being part of this advanced technology is wondrous.
Previously, Shatner has been famously wary of revisiting his character’s legacy. As revealed on the DVD commentary for the episode “Marge vs. the Monorail,” when The Simpsons showrunners asked Shatner to reprise his role for the cartoon series known for its pop culture parodies, they were turned down. Although the Columbo actor turned down numerous offers to appear on The Simpsons, eventually, he was convinced to appear on Matt Groening’s other popular cartoon series, Futurama, because “I didn’t know what the [Simpsons] was and I was told Futurama was a SciFi cartoon.”
However, Futurama voice actor Billy West and Groening tell a different version of the story on the DVD commentary for the Trek parody episode “Where No Fan Has Gone Before.” Per West (who did a “dog and pony” show to sell the cameo), Shatner initially rejected returning as Kirk on Futurama because he believed the SNL skit was his final word on his legacy as the U.S.S. Enterprise captain. According to Groening, Shatner felt “he’d tied the bow on Star Trek on his Saturday Night Live appearance, ‘Get a Life,'” adding “I’ve been funny. I’ve done that.” But, ultimately, Shatner was sold by the prospect of acting with Leonard Nimoy again.
Of course, Shatner could return to the franchise in this minimal-effort, CGI way he mentioned to Collider. Die-hard Trekkies know that he has already done it. In November 2024, he appeared as Kirk in OTOY and The Roddenberry Archive’s official short film 765874: Unification, which used digital prosthetic technology to present him (played by Sam Witwer) as he appeared in Star Trek: Generations. Although the film is not canon, it’s a licensed production worked on by many Trek alumni (like Michael Giacchino, Dave Blass, Gary Lockwood, and Robin Curtis) and approved by Paramount.
According to one commenter on the Collider article, 765874: Unification is “the most viewed Star Trek video on YouTube, with over 23 million views in less than 3 months.”
Watch the short film below:
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