Did You Know?: There were other actors in line for James Kirk for 2009’s Star Trek

Chris Pine was not the only man being considered for James Kirk in Star Trek 2009.

Turns out, Chris Pine wasn’t the man in the chair and he certainly wasn’t the first man to go where no other man had gone before. Heck, William Shatner wasn’t, either. All in all, it’s not uncommon to find out the face of the franchise wasn’t the first choice, just ask Patrick Stewart. So it’s not that surprising to find out that not only was Pine not the only name that made to the final cuts, but up until he was ultimately picked, he wasn’t even the favorite to win the role.

According to Screenrant, the other three names that got that far were Mighty Ducks and Fringe star Joshua Jackson, Grind and Cloverfield star Mike Vogel and soap opera actor Chris Prangley. They weren’t the only ones of eventual fame to try out for the role, as Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt also tried out.

Pratt was passed over due to the lack of name value, his biggest role to that point arguably being in The O.C., and Hemsworth was deemed “too tall” and was cast instead as Kirk’s father. Vogel was the front-runner due to his time on Cloverfield with then-director JJ Abrams but Pine ultimately won the role.

Which one of the three would’ve made the most sense if not for Chris Pine?

Let’s say in another world, Chris Pine opted not to take the role. Who would’ve been the best fit? Well, Prangley is a relative unknown and is largely a non-factor in the world of acting anymore. It seems unlikely he would’ve landed the role.

Vogel has the look, but his surfer-bro look and attitude make it hard for him to be taken seriously as Kirk, but he had the rebellious attitude needed to make Kirk work.

Jackson looked nothing like Shatner but he’s arguably the best actor of the three.

So who does the role go to? Well, Vogel to me has the attitude necessary even if he was mostly typecast as the “pretty-boy” character. While he wasn’t the polished actor Jackson was at this point in their careers, he was certainly the right temperament to play a more rebellious Kirk.

Yet, if we’re going with season one of Star Trek: The Original Series? We’re going with Jackson instead.