The iconic role of James Tiberius Kirk, the protagonist of Star Trek, goes to Paul Wesley, who met William Shatner on a plane.

A new Captain Kirk will step on the board of U.S.S. Enterprise announced StarTrek.com and Paramount+. The James T. Kirk 2.0 is none other than Paul Wesley, a long time fan of the franchise. 

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence, and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan, and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

He is best known for his role as Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries on C.W.; besides, he earned two People’s Choice Award nominations for his work on the show. Later, in 2018, he had a role in Tell Me a Story; now, he is working on two horror films, History of Evil and Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, besides Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

The original captain of the series, Captain James T. Kirk, who would “boldly go where no man has gone before”, debuted in the episode “The Man Trap” in 1966. He was played by William Shatner, who also voiced the character in Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and six more films. The captain was famous for losing his shirts often, which certainly made him popular amongst fans of the series (and the actor). Hopefully, Wesley will honour this tradition of the character. 

He took the role with a humble attitude as he has been a huge fan since his childhood; he was startled but grateful when he received the role. He even shared a fun little story on his Twitter about meeting Shatner, the former captain on a plane.

“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. Recently, I boarded a flight to L.A. 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. And of course, I had to get a picture. 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.”

Source: Movie Web