In its first season Star Trek Strange New Worlds reinvigorated the modern Trek era in an unexpectedly playful way. The first ten episodes of the Star Trek The Original Series prequel not only delivered a delightful smart and emotional assortment of one offs but it also introduced some great new takes on familiar characters. Ethan Pecks Spock Celia Rose Goodings Uhura and the rest of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds Enterprise crew have already become indelible versions of the officers we know and love.
And then theres Captain Kirk. William Shatners take on the character is larger than life the sort of often exaggerated performance thats no doubt been the perfect starter impression for a thousand comedy students over the years. Shatners performance is sometimes excellent but its most remembered for its sense of melodrama above all else for better or for worse. It makes sense then that when Star Trek Strange New Worlds returns for its second season Paul Wesleys young Kirk will not be attempting a Shatner like inflection. In fact the actor tells Entertainment Weekly that his Kirk would not be too much like Chris Pines version either but will land somewhere in between the two versions of the Enterprise captain.
What is most important is to pay respect to the integrity of who Kirk is Wesley tells EW. His wants his needs his deep desires his morality his spontaneity his instinct. That last quality is one that Wesleys mentioned in several interviews and its what will likely set the character apart from the largely heart and logic driven Enterprise crew. Kirk trusts his gut and it does not always work out right but as A Quality of Mercy demonstrated sometimes the fate of the universe depends on good instincts.
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