Back in 2009, JJ Abrams rebooted the Star Trek movie franchise by recasting the series’ original characters from James T Kirk to Uhura. Released in 2009, Star Trek saw a prequel set where the crew of the USS Enterprise met for the first time, but in an alternate reality. Leonard Nimoy, who was in his late 70s at the time, reprized his role as Spock Prime, who travels back to the past from the original Star Trek timeline.
Nimoy also appeared briefly in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, which would be his last film before his death in 2015 at the age of 83. Then in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, young Spock Zachary Quinto learns of Spock Prime’s death and sees a photo of the original USS Enterprise crew of the middle-aged timeline.
Many Star Trek fans may have enjoyed seeing Nimoy re-enact Spock for the J.J. Abrams films before his death. However, star William Shatner, the original Captain James T. Kirk, was not at all impressed.
Speaking previously with Express.co.uk, Shatner said he found Nimoy’s inclusion unwarranted. The Kirk star claimed: “Leonard Nimoy was in some of those movies, but he was completely free. They just wanted to put Spock in there and I wasn’t that impressed.”
After starring in six Star Trek films, Shatner reprized Kirk in 1994’s Star Trek Generations opposite Sir Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard. But despite his views on Star Trek’s modern use of Nimoy, the 92-year-old has been open in recent years to returning to his career-defining role on one condition.
Read more: Star Trek: Tom Hardy wants the studio to return as Shinzon
Shatner told us, “You know, Star Trek is a great show. How it lasted all these years, and why it was repeated, I don’t know. Spending time speculating why Star Trek was so popular. Really, no one really knows.”
“So I would be happy to be a part of Star Trek if it was something worthwhile. If they could come up with a way to put a character played in a movie where she served as a point in the movie [and] Make the movie move, I’ll be happy.”
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