Shatner’s Kirk on Strange New Worlds would have experienced a love on the edge of forever.
Sadly, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds never included William Shatner’s iconic version of James T. Kirk, and this turns out to be co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman’s “biggest regret,” according to a new interview conducted by Polygon. Goldsman wanted Shatner to play The Original Series season 1-era captain of the USS Enterprise, but this time around, Kirk decided to save Edith Keeler’s (Joan Collins) life in the TOS episode “The City of the Edge of Forever.”
Think of the implications, Star Trek fans! In that classic, must-see story, Kirk let the woman he loves (Keller) die in a street accident during the 20th century, so that Keeler's plans for peace don't delay the United States' entry into World War II. Yes, in Strange New Worlds, we would have been introduced to a James T. Kirk who chose love over the fate of the future. That means the Nazis would have won the war, and Starfleet never would have existed in the 23rd century or beyond!
I think fans would have loved to see this story unfold, but Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) were there when Kirk save Keller's life. They would have all been trapped in the 20th century together, and I can't imagine Spock's human side would have ever forgiven the captain for choosing love over such a staggering loss of life.
It’s also an intriguing time travel idea, which would have allowed Trekkies to meet an alternate timeline version of Kirk who chose love over everything else! I don’t understand how this Captain Kirk could have lived with himself after letting billions of people die just to save the woman he loves. However, I do hope Paul Wesley's SNW's Kirk would have been involved in the episode. I'd love to have watched Shatner and Wesley sharing screen time together.
I get this Kirk's choice because it’s a very human reaction, but saving Keeler at the cost of Earth’s promising future just isn’t something the real TOS Captain Kirk, who Shatner portrayed for years on television and in the movies, would have ever done. So, I would have loved to witness Shatner playing this morally conflicted version of Kirk on Strange New Worlds just to understand why he did what he did.
“I think if you get to the end and there's nothing left for you to want to do, then that's more of a disappointment,” co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman chimed in on what his own regrets were concerning what Strange New Worlds didn't explore. “I'm proud of every episode we've done, but I feel like the best dinners you come to don't leave you feeling stuffed. They leave you wanting more.”
Would you have enjoyed William Shatner play this alternate version of James T. Kirk on Strange New Worlds? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And SNW season 4 debuts Thursday, July 23, on Paramount+.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
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