JULY 21, 2022 - Actor Paul Wesley may be joining the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as James T. Kirk, but this won’t be the Kirk of days gone by. In a recent interview with Variety, Wesley shared that while his version of the famous Star Trek character may be recognizable, it won’t be the same.

As a lifelong fan of the franchise, Wesley wants to make sure that the character is respected, but isn’t mimicking William Shatner’s representation of James Kirk. “I think the biggest insult would be to do an imitation of what William Shatner originated and what people fell in love with,” Wesley said. “If I did that, it would just be a reminder that I’m not William Shatner [...] He has this incredible sense of leadership, but it’s done with this little twinkle in his eye that no one can quite describe. It’s what made him so famous. It’s what made that character so iconic.”

The character, itself, is incredibly complex, with heroic qualities that will certainly transfer over to Wesley’s version of the character. “He has [an] incredibly good sense of morality,” Wesley said. “He is someone who I think is selfless for his crew. He’s someone that, even though he has his bravado, I think at the end of the day, he has a deep sensitivity, and he cares about doing the right thing. I think those are the pillars of Kirk if I had to really pick apart the archetype.”

In terms of Wesley’s future in the series, the actor isn’t sure what to expect. Calling Strange New Worlds a prequel to “the Enterprise we know”, he told Variety, “Kirk is coming in, and he’s a part of that universe, but this really is Pike’s show in terms of him being the captain.” While he might not be the star of the show, Wesley said he had a blast working on season two, saying, “The writing is so good. It’s so fun. Season 2 is where we get to really let loose and explore Kirk. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

To read more about Paul Wesley’s version of James Kirk, and his experiences on and off the set, check out the full interview from Variety.