Star Trek: William Shatner Open to Returning as Younger Kirk With Digital De-Aging
The Star Trek legend says he's open to play Captain Kirk again if there is a good reason to do so.
Star Trek legend William Shatner isn't opposed to returning as Captain Kirk — and he's even open to using digital de-aging to portray a younger version of the character. Speaking with The Globe and Mail, Shatner said that the idea of reprising Captain Kirk is "intriguing" so long as there's a good idea for it.
"It's an intriguing idea," he said. "It's almost impossible but it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there and not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it."
Shatner also had some ideas for how Captain Kirk could make an appearance, considering that the character's last appearance was in 1994's Star Trek Generations where the character was killed off. Shatner said that he could potentially portray a younger version of the character, citing digital de-aging technology that "takes years off of your face, so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are." He also suggested that the character could be resurrected.
"A company that wants to freeze my body and my brain for the future might be a way of going about it," he said. "We've got Captain Kirk's brain frozen here. There's a scenario. Let's see if we can bring back a little bit of this, a little salt, a little pepper. Oh, look at that. Here comes Captain Kirk!"
William Shatner Has Said He'd Be Open to Captain Kirk Returning Via AI
The idea of Shatner reprising Captain Kirk by way of digital de-aging isn't the only way the actor would consider returning to the role. Shatner has said that he's open to the character returning through AI, though he would only want it to happen under specific circumstances.
"It's an interesting question," Shatner told Comic Book previously. "The strike was all about getting permission to do that. And so, if I'm alive, I don't want AI to do that, but if I'm dead and they ask my family and they're going to pay m y family very well to sound like me, I would advise them to say yes."
Shatner Says Star Trek V Is the Biggest Regret of His Career
Recently, Shatner revealed that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, is the biggest regret of his career. Released in 1989, the film — which he starred in and directed — was poorly received by both fans and critics.
"I wish that I'd had the backing and the courage to do the things I felt I needed to do," Shatner explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "My concept was, 'Star Trek goes in search of God,' and management said, 'Well, who's God? We'll alienate the nonbeliever, so, no, we can't do God.' And then somebody said, 'What about an alien who thinks they're God?' Then it was a series of my inabilities to deal with the management and the budget. I failed. In my mind, I failed horribly. When I'm asked, 'What do you regret the most?' I regret not being equipped emotionally to deal with a large motion picture. So, in the absence of my power, the power vacuum filled with people that didn't make the decisions I would've made."
