Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Casts The Vampire Diaries Star Paul Wesley As Captain Kirk
Spencer Baculi
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It’s official: Alex Kurtzman’s Star Trek canon has found its Captain Kirk.
Source: The Vampire Diaries (2009), The CW
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As announced by CBS on March 15th, the next actor to step into the role of the iconic sci-fi hero will be Paul Wesley, an actor perhaps best known for his starring roles as Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries and Eddie Longo/Tucker Reed in Tell Me a Story.
Wesley will begin his tenure as a young James T. Kirk in the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – itself greenlit in January, well ahead of the series’ upcoming May premiere.
Source: The Vampire Diaries (2009), The CW
“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” said producers Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers in a joint statement to the press. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”
Source: Meet The Cast Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Paramount+ (2021)
In light of CBS’ official reveal, Wesley took to his personal Twitter to express his gratitude for the chance to play the role, asserting, “I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.”
Archive Link Source: Paul Wesley Twitter
He also shared an amusing Captain Kirk-related anecdote, recalling, “Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the empty seat beside me was the one and only William Shatner, having himself just returned from space.”
“I could barely put two words together but ultimately I managed to say hello and we chatted. I’m not one who usually believes in fate but this was more than a coincidence.”
Archive Link Source: Paul Wesley Twitter
“And of course I had to get a picture,” he concluded. “So thanks Mr. Shatner for the good company. And for seating us together, my thanks to the great bird in the sky. Can’t wait for all of you to see our Captain Kirk on your screens.”
Archive Link Source: Paul Wesley Twitter
Wishing Wesley well, Shatner replied, “Keep my ship and crew safe, Captain! Congratulations!”
Archive Link Source: William Shatner Twitter
Sadly for Wesley – through no fault of his own – despite the apparent optimism towards his casting, CBS’ recent Star Trek series continue to disappoint more and more fans.
In the Kurtzman canon’s latest stunt, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – who notably has received no admonishment over her continued rejection of her 2018 loss of the state’s governorship despite a widespread concern among the mainstream media that anyone even remotely suspicious of the 2020 presidential election results are a threat to the very core of America – cameoed in a recent episode of Star Trek: Discovery as the President of United Earth.
Source: Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 13 “Coming Home” (2022), CBS
Starring Anson Mount as Captain Chris Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley or Number One, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to land on Paramount Plus on May 5th.
Source: Meet The Cast Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Paramount+ (2021)
What do you make of Wesley’s casting as Captain Kirk? Let us know your thoughts on social media or in the comments down below!
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