Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel overlaying the adventures of the USS Enterprise as led by Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike, the unique captain earlier than William Shatner’s James Kirk sat within the chair within the authentic Star Trek sequence. Leading as much as launch, the query of if Kirk would seem was danced round, not less than till Paramount revealed that sure, Strange would certainly herald Kirk throughout his pre-Captain days. When season two arrives, the character will probably be performed by Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley.

But in case you watched the season finale that aired earlier this week, you recognize that the episode is the place Wesley’s Kirk first makes his debut. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Wesley revealed that the season finale was at all times meant to interrupt the information of his casting, however Paramount felt they needed to get forward of set picture leaks. He’d instructed shut household and buddies earlier than the information broke, and funnily, they straight up thought he was mendacity. But it was a aid for him that the information bought out early, each as a result of holding secrets and techniques may be torture, and since “it allows people to digest it, in a way.”

The Kirk of Strange New Worlds is launched by way of projection of an alternate timeline, the place he’s the captain of the USS Farragut reasonably than the Enterprise. In Wesley’s phrases, that allowed him to have a little bit of a looser interpretation, however not drastically so. He’s meant to be referred to as his model “a whole new look,” sitting someplace in the course of Shatner and Chris Pine’s Kirk from the reboot movies. “It’s an interpretation that’s different,” continued Wesley. “Doing an imitation of either Kirks would be an insult…What is most important is to pay respect to the integrity of who Kirk is — his wants, his needs, his deep desires, his morality, his spontaneity, his instinct.”

Dancing round specifics, he added that the season would discover extra of the character and his relationship with Pike. And as a result of Pike’s met an alternate model of Kirk, he’ll must work on separating the 2 variations of Kirk he’s met. “It’s like, I’ve met you before, but I can’t tell you that I’ve met you before,” Wesley laughed, “and I can’t explain to you how I’ve met you before.” Still, don’t count on issues to be as mildly antagonistic as the connection that Pine’s Kirk had with Bruce Greenwood’s Pike within the motion pictures—there’s a deep respect between the 2 males, based on Wesley, regardless of their totally different command types.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ first season is accessible now on Paramount+.

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