Casting Paul Wesley for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is baffling for one key reason

Why did Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast Paul Wesley to play James T. Kirk?

There had been rumors for months about James T. Kirk coming in as a character on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and it was always a rumor that was met with uncertainty from the fans. Well, it looks like fans may have had a right to be concerned about the casting decision, as they’ve tapped Paul Wesley of the Vampire Diaries series to star as Kirk.

Wesley is a fine actor, he’s inoffensive and looks enough of the part. That’s all fine. The problem comes down to the fact that this James T. Kirk is supposed to be a young Kirk. A Kirk that is more than likely an ensign or lower-ranked officer on another ship

Kirk was 32 when he took over the Enterprise. Chris Pine was 29 when he took over the role of Kirk, who was just starting out as Captain. William Shatner was 37, playing a Kirk that was very much well entrenched in his duties as a Captain.

Considering this series is set several years before the original series, it’s fair to say this Kirk is in his mid-to-late 20s still. Here’s the baffling part, Wesley is nearly 40.

He’s about the same age as Pine.

James Kirk should’ve been played by a younger actor in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

To say I’m a bit disappointed in the casting of Wesley would be fair. I don’t think he’s a bad actor by any means, I just think he’s a bad fit. He doesn’t look like or feel like Kirk to me. His age is also a non-starter, as I can’t believe that the cast didn’t have an “under-30” casting process.

I would’ve loved to have seen a younger, lesser-known actor get the role, but this feels more like the studio had a name in mind, and opted to push him into the slot instead.

He might be great in the role, and that’s a very realistic possibility, but on paper, I’m not a fan.