William Shatner has been the face of Star Trek since he played the role of Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966. He will be forever associated with the franchise, and the icon's opinions about what's going on in the universe matter to Star Trek fans. Once upon a time, Shatner had said Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, would be "turning in his grave" because of Nu-Trek. And that didn't make fans happy.
In a CinemaBlend interview last year, Shatner expounded on what he said as fans had been quite vocally upset at his comments. As it turns out, the actor wasn't referring to the entirety of the franchise and the new roads it has taken. He was, instead, referencing Roddenberry's strict rules that the newer Trek shows don't adhere to.
"I wonder why some feathers would be ruffled by my saying the guy, the gentleman I knew, Eugene Roddenberry was very strict about military protocol. So, having an intimate relationship with somebody you're working next to is verboten. You don't do that on the military thing. And they [modern Trek shows], you know, I don't know about the latest things, but the couple of things I've noted is that there are relationships, sexual relations, relationships going on between the people that would make Gene Roddenberry turn in his grave," Shatner said to clarify his position.
Most recently, in an interview with US Magazine, Shatner called the latest iterations of Star Trek "phenomenal," even going on to say that "It’s like [a] good seed being planted all over." His feelings about Star Trek match how must fans feel, and that it's not something that could easily be repeated. "“It’ll be really in our lifetime, impossible to repeat, because it would take some entertainment to exist for 60 years from now to equal what Star Trek has done. We won’t be alive then.”
Next year, we'll celebrate the 60th anniversary of this franchise, and nothing could define it better than "phenomenal." Though fans have been divided over various aspects of the different shows, they are united on the fact that Star Trek is, and always will be, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, franchises in all of history. Notwithstanding Roddenberry's rules, the new series have opened doors to continue the franchise for another sixty years.