Chris Hemsworth would return to Star Trek but the franchise doesn’t need him

Chris Hemsworth is still open to returning to Star Trek.

If you forgot Chris Hemsworth was in Star Trek, you may not be the only person. The former soap opera actor and Dancing With the Stars (Australian edition) veteran made his big-screen debut with the 2009 Star Trek film by JJ Abrahams. Prior to that, he was a semi-known soap actor from down under. After 2009, however, he became a mega-star actor.

Yet, when he’s brought up in connection to Star Trek, most people forget that he played the baby-faced George Kirk, the man who was captain of the USS Kelvin for 12 minutes. With Hemsworth known for his beard and big hair these days, if you didn’t know or forgot that was Hemsworth, no one would blame you.

Hemsworth has changed a lot these days and he’s hardly seen without a beard. So you would be forgiven if you didn’t know or forgot that was the same man that would become Thor. Yet, Hemsworth is open to returning to Star Trek if Abrams were to ask him. He told Vanity Fair (via Gizmodo);

"There was talk about me doing the film with Chris Pine at one point. The script was sort of put together and then it fell apart. If J.J. Abrams called me tomorrow and said ‘Chris Pine and I want to do it,’ I’d probably say ‘Yeah, let’s go for it!’”"

Star Trek doesn’t need Chris Hemsworth or to re-visit George Kirk

I never thought Hemsworth’s turn as George Kirk was anything to write home about. How could it be? It was three minutes’ worth of screen time (more or less). He didn’t tank the role by any means but to sit here and say that his portrayal was anything special would be disingenuous.

Star Trek bringing him back, somehow, is simply to capitalize on Hemsworth’s name these days. Not the character he portrayed. If it was the character that they were so high on, I’d welcome the return of Hemsworth in the role, but as the character was largely a throw-away plot point to advance the story, there was no real emphasis given to him.

So there’s no need to revisit a character no fans have really been talking about seeing more of.

That brings us to the other point while Hemsworth returning just doesn’t need to happen. When the original idea of Hemsworth returning to portray George Kirk next to Chris Pine’s James Kirk, there was an issue with franchise perception. A lot of fans weren’t happy with the series they were getting on CBS All-Access (later Paramount+).

It’s now been over 18+ since the rumor of Hemsworth’s return was first reported and since then Star Trek’s Prodigy and Strange New Worlds have debuted. The vibe around the series is changing and fans are noticing it.

Hemsworth’s return will sell tickets, no doubt, but little else. George Kirk is dead and bringing him back will only cause fans to bemoan the decision. It wouldn’t add anything more to the story as his sacrifice was what launched Kelvin James Kirk into becoming the man he is.

Leave it be. Let George Kirk stay dead and if you really want to bring Hemsworth in for a film, why not make him a Klingon? That’s the best way to capitalize off of him being Thor; make him another alien who likes violence.