There will be a new James T. Kirk manning the decks when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its second season on Paramount+. Ahead of the series’ premiere in May, Deadline is reporting that Paul Wesley has joined the cast as a younger version of the iconic Starfleet captain.
Wesley is still widely remembered for his starring role as Stefan Salvatore on The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. More recently, he was a regular cast member on Tell Me a Story, which also aired on Paramount+ from 2018-2020.
Anson Mount is headlining Strange New Worlds as Captain Christopher Pike, the role he originated in Star Trek: Discovery season 2. The spinoff takes place several years before Kirk became captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. However, the show will feature younger versions of other classic Star Trek characters, including Ethan Peck as Spock and Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura. Paramount+ ordered a second season of the series back in January.
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Wesley’s casting comes as Paramount also tries to get a new Star Trek film off the ground with Chris Pine returning as Kirk. Regardless, it should be interesting to see how Wesley stacks up alongside Pine and William Shatner. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are co-showrunning Strange New Worlds and will executive produce alongside Alex Kurtzman. All three also issued a joint statement welcoming Wesley aboard the series.
“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will premiere on Paramount+ on May 5.
Do you think Wesley is a good choice to play Kirk on the series? Let us know in the comment section below!
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