William Shatner Returns One More Time As Captain Kirk
Posted August 14, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
But not on the big screen. Instead, the original “Star Trek” commander will be back for one last hurrah in a new video game.
For all his sometimes bombastic history of decrying the typecasting the role saddled him with, Shatner claims he’s extremely fond of the Star Trek series and is upset that it seems to have fallen on hard times.
The last series, “Enterprise”, was summarily cancelled before it could finish its real mission – running as long as its predecessors. It lasted only four seasons.
So it seems only fitting that the original captain-turned-admiral should come out of retirement to helm the new game, called “Star Trek: Legacy.”
It will allow players to steer more than 60 starships from all five of the series’ incarnations into a final battle against every foe that’s ever appeared on the show, including the Borg, the Romulans and the Klingons.
“The interest in ‘Star Trek’ has waned in the last couple years,” Shatner agrees. “It’s been around a long time, it’s a staple of American life and I think we need something new and different in ‘Star Trek.'”
There is a new movie in the works, but it won’t be ready until 2008 and the once unconquerable Federation has been off TV and theatre screens for more than a year.
But despite his sometimes reluctance to revisit his old role, the Canadian veteran couldn’t see anyone else taking it.
And a video game provides the perfect venue for a return – it can show a Shatner/Kirk who hasn’t aged, is still in fighting form, always gets the ladies, never gave up command – and the less said about the hair, the better.
“I couldn’t imagine someone else playing Captain Kirk, even in a video game, so I kind of got a little territorial,” he admits. “If it’s a good game, keeping true to the characters the best they can and having an interesting story that branches, I think a game can bring a freshness to a franchise like ‘Star Trek.'”
Shatner’s taken up the video game role before in 1997’s “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”
But will this be his final jump into the final frontier?
No one’s saying, but it appears he’ll need some help if he’s to see the outcome of his handiwork.
Shatner is boldly going where he hasn’t gone before – he doesn’t know how to play videogames and plans to let his grandson teach him.
“Star Trek: Legacy” will be available for the PC and Xbox 360. It comes out this fall, the 40th anniversary of the premiere of the original TV show.