James T. Kirk Will Be Played by Paul Wesley in STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS
We are getting another version of the classic Star Trek character James T. Kirk in the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) has been cast to play a young version of the character and will make his debut in the show’s upcoming season.
In regards to the casting, executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners and executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a statement:
“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long ‘Star Trek’ fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”
Wesley is the third actor to portray the character. Kirk was previously played by William Shatner and Chris Pine. Both actors were great in the role, and it’ll be interesting to see what this new version of the character will be like.
This series puts the focus on Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike and his adventures while leading the U.S.S. Enterprise. This is set prior to Kirk becoming captain of the Enterprise.
Wesley joins Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M'Benga.
The first season of Strange New Worlds is set to premiere on May 5th, and it was renewed for a second season back in January and it’s already in production.
Source: Variety