William Shatner hasn't played Star Trek's James T. Kirk in decades, but the actor doesn't rule out ever returning to the role -- if one condition is met.
"If they wrote an interesting role and they could explain the 55-year difference I might consider it," Shatner tells Inverse. "But at the moment, I'm really busy and Star Trek is in my past."
Indeed it is, as Shatner last played Captain-turned-Admiral James Tiberius Kirk in 1994's Star Trek: Generations -- a literal generation ago. Bringing Kirk back might require more than just explaining a time differential, however. In the film, the legendary Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, meet for the first and only time via the time-tricking realm known as the Nexus. Kirk is killed when he and Picard successfully stop Dr. Tolian Soran, played by Malcolm McDowell, from destroying numerous systems in order to reach the Nexus.
Of course, the death of a character didn't stop The Mandalorian from pulling off a similar trick with Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, whose character had died in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. A younger Skywalker made a cameo appearance on the show's second season finale, played by Hamill but with the benefit of CGI age regression. Rather than being brought back from the dead, Kirk could likewise appear as a younger incarnation of himself with the aid of similar CGI technology.
Two possible avenues for Kirk's return could be the current live action series Star Trek: Discovery or Star Trek: Picard, both airing on CBS All Access. New seasons for both shows are currently in development. Shatner could also return to voice acting the character, should Kirk turn up in the upcoming Star Trek: Lower Decks or Star Trek: Prodigy animated series.
One of Shatner's earliest and most memorable roles was as the frightened airline passenger who repeatedly witnessed a strange gremlin on the wing of the plane in the 1963 Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." Despite starring in subsequent television series such as cop drama T.J. Hooker and legal drama Boston Legal, though, Shatner will likely always be known best for playing Captain James T. Kirk.
Shatner played the role for three seasons in the original Star Trek, and also voiced the character in the later Star Trek: The Animated Series, and went on to appear in seven Star Trek films. His career playing the character spanned nearly three decades.
Source: Inverse