Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' staff attempted to get William Shatner back as Captain Kirk, but they weren't able to make it happen before filming the final season. Now, as the series prepares for Season 4's debut on the 2026 TV schedule, we're hearing about the massive cameo they tried and failed to get.

Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman and EP Alex Kurtzman talked to Polygon about the idea and how they quietly worked for years to try and get Shatner to return to Star Trek. With the series wrapped and Shatner revealing elsewhere he'd been in contact with the show about appearing, they pulled back the curtain on the plan they had to bring the 95-year-old actor back as Captain Kirk. I love the idea, and am a little upset we didn't get to see this happen.

William Shatner Would've Reprised His Role As James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, But As An Alternate Version

Bringing back William Shatner as James T. Kirk, especially at the actor's current age, presented a challenge. Akiva Goldsman had a pitch, however, and wanted to do an episode centered around an alternate version of Kirk that would be linked to the classic Star Trek episode, "The City On The Edge Of Forever."

In the original story, McCoy inadvertently destroys the timeline whilst visiting the past under the influence of a drug. Kirk and Spock follow McCoy back to the past, trying to figure out what he did that forever altered the course of history. Whilst there, he falls in love with Keeler (played by Joan Collins), only to learn that McCoy's saving her from a deadly accident is what ruined their timeline. Kirk is forced to allow the accident to happen, thus restoring the timeline.

In this new potential story, rather than return to his adventures, this version of Captain Kirk would stay behind in Depression-era New York to live out his days with the new love of his life, Edith Keeler. Obviously, the details are thin because the idea never fully came together, but I'm sure it would've been great had they gotten a chance to work on it fully.

What Alex Kurtzman Had To Say About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Missing Out On Including William Shatner

It's a cool pitch, but I imagine the logistics of pulling a script together in a way that didn't rebreak the Star Trek timeline were too hard to navigate. Alex Kurtzman seemed to agree it was sad that bringing back William Shatner and other scrapped ideas didn't happen, but believed it was ultimately inevitable:

As psyched as I am to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 4 and 5 with my Paramount+ subscription, I can't help but be a bit bummed by what Kurtzman said. If there are tons of ideas that were left on the table, it makes me more eager to see more adventures. In fairness, that may be the point, considering Akiva Goldsman has petitioned for a spinoff of Strange New Worlds prior to this.

Unfortunately, we've known for a while that the days of hundred-episode Star Trek shows are over. Five seasons for a streaming series is considered an impressive metric, and with ten-episode orders becoming more commonplace, it's inevitable that ideas will be left on the table in the writers' room.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres over on Paramount+ on July 23rd. William Shatner may not be in it, but with all the incoming crew members joining Kirk's Enterprise during the final two seasons, I'm still plenty excited about what's to come.

William Shatner has been to space, he helped launch the Star Trek franchise, and now he's made a metal album. Seemingly taking a page out of the book of late actor Christopher Lee, Shatner is the latest elderly celebrity to try to appease the rock gods.

Weeks after shooting down rumors of a secret meeting with Paramount+, Shatner has announced that a metal album he contributed to, Black Flame by Nuclear Messiah, is now available for purchase. He also dropped a video featuring his bit from the album, and it's as wild as one might imagine.

William Shatner's Video For His Metal Album Is Wild

William Shatner is featured in the title track for Nuclear Messiah's latest album, as the metal super group added the sci-fi actor to its long list of heavy metal contributors. Take a look at Shatner, as he sets the stage for the face-melting madness that is on the way:

It's the vocal chops we'd expect from a celebrity who had a one-and-done appearance on The Masked Singer. Of course, William Shatner's "singing" has always been more of a narration akin to beat poetry, which, honestly, goes pretty well with this metal track titled "The Prophet of Fallout." Unfortunately, that's the only track he's directly credited to, though what a way to kick off an album.

Black Flame has a physical release available for purchase, but can also be found on Spotify and other music streaming services.

William Shatner Isn't The Only Legend On This Metal Album

Nuclear Messiah is a large metal supergroup that boasts contributions from 35 different big names in the industry. Zakk Wylde, Ritchie Blackmore, Henry Rollins, and even alleged One Piece fan Rob Halford contributed to the album, making for a who's who of classic metal legends.

So, the 95-year-old actor and activist was the odd man out in this project, but William Shatner had an important role to play all the same. I'm sure many of these rock icons at least knew of him prior to him joining the album, if they hadn't seen him in his various Star Trek appearances and movie roles over the years.

Plus, in an age where the metal genre isn't quite as thriving in the mainstream as it once was, it couldn't hurt to get some positive PR from featuring an actor with 2.4 million followers on X to help spread the word. All this to say, I knew nothing about this album before I saw William Shatner post a video about it, and now I can't wait to listen to the whole thing. That's what we call successful marketing, ladies and gentlemen.

Listen to Nuclear Messiah's Black Flame wherever you get your music, and stick with CinemaBlend as we chronicle what's up with William Shatner and Star Trek these days. These are exciting times for both, it would seem, as I can never predict what either will do next.

The cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy raised many questions about the future of the franchise and created a lot of speculation. Unfortunately, it's also led to misinformation, as William Shatner was forced to release a statement denying rumors he had a "secret" conversation with Paramount/CBS about Star Trek.

As former Trek veterans like Tim Russ speculate on the motives behind Starfleet Academy's cancellation, Shatner is going on the offensive on Instagram and denying videos alleging he met with executives to discuss the modern direction of Trek and influenced the decision. Shatner quoted his famous line from a Saturday Night Live skit in his response:

Shatner is referring to an influx of AI-narrated videos on YouTube, which use generated images and alleged false narratives to suggest he and other prominent stars like Patrick Stewart are against the modern era of Star Trek. One of those videos in particular has 257,000 views, and features a thumbnail of Shatner yelling at Starfleet Academy actress Kerrice Brooks. It was uploaded weeks after the actor tweeted about meeting the cast and calling them adorable.

The videos maintain that William Shatner bemoaned modern Star Trek and shared a role in this latest era seemingly coming to an end, just weeks after he publicly bemoaned Starfleet Academy's cancellation. He continued his statement, offering candid advice to fans eager to believe he has an axe to grind against the modern era, and "hate watching" Trek in the name of bashing it:

William Shatner may be caught up in this situation due to comments he made years ago during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The actor became a notable face for the "anti Nu-Trek" fans after he said creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he saw some of the stuff happening in the modern shows.

CinemaBlend followed up with Shatner years later, knowing he famously does not watch Star Trek, and wanted clarity on why he said that. He said he was speaking about intimate relationships between coworkers, something Trek has highlighted as far back as The Next Generation. Despite that, some took it as commentary related to inclusive casting and portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships.

The impression that William Shatner isn't a fan of "woke" Star Trek prompted lawmakers in Washington to publicly request he run the franchise, which also got support from prominent figureheads like Elon Musk. Perhaps now that he has made his stance clear on the situation, we'll see less of this false content claiming otherwise.

While there are no active shows in development, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will return to the 2026 TV schedule later this year. I look forward to its return, if only so the fandom can take a break from the back-and-forth discourse about the franchise's future.

It was reported earlier this week that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy had been canceled after only two seasons. With that, fans took to social media to share thoughts, and different corners of the fandom have varying thoughts. Amidst all the chatter, franchise veteran William Shatner added his thoughts to the mix and offered some surprising commentary on the end of the latest Trek series.

Though he hasn't watched the franchise over the past few decades, Shatner is usually unafraid to share his opinions on the overall creative direction and decisions of Star Trek as a whole. Most notably, he made comments a few years back about how creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he saw some of the elements used by the modern shows. After previous attempts to be goaded into talking about the show, Shatner took to X say in the wake of Starfleet Academy ending:

Given his history of comments about Star Trek's modern shows, some may find it surprising to read what William Shatner had to say. Perhaps he was feeling extra sentimental after his recent 95th birthday, though his comments that followed suggested otherwise.

William Shatner went on to talk about the divisiveness of Starfleet Academy, which some have claimed is "too woke." The actor, who not that long ago had critics asking for him to get control of the creative direction of Trek, dropped another post:

Shatner may not be as familiar with the stories and lore of Star Trek, but he can definitely speak to what the social climate was like when he first joined the series. Progressive viewpoints and ideals have also always been a cornerstone of the franchise and, as time goes on, what's progressive changes.

Starfleet Academy is a series that's attempted to pull in a new generation of fans with a younger cast and fresh storytelling in a new era to serve as an entry point for newcomers. Unfortunately, it had a section of older fans rebel against it, which William Shatner reminded followers was the same case when The Next Generation first came out:

Fortunately, The Next Generation didn't come out at a time when ten-episode orders were the norm for a standard season. It might've had the same fate otherwise but, instead, thanks to a 26-episode run, it found an audience and went on to be one of the most acclaimed sci-fi shows of all time.

By the time it ends, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will have had six episodes less to get fans on board, and I'm sure even fewer new fans will tune in knowing its fate in advance. For now, it seems many are already looking ahead to new announcements, curious as to what direction the franchise will head in now that no new Trek shows are in development.

Additionally, Starfleet Academy's cancellation has led to speculation on whether Alex Kurtzman's time running the television side of Star Trek is at an end. The series' cancellation seems to mark an opportunity for the keys to the kingdom to be handed over to another creative, leaving them with the decision of what's next for the franchise. Or, we could just be in for a break in Trek streaming shows, as Paramount Skydance prioritizes bringing the franchise back to theaters. Regardless of all that, more immediately, William Shatner's take on this situation gives fans a lot to chew on.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription alongside other Trek shows. With so much chatter happening in the fandom, now might be the best time to unplug and just enjoy an old favorite while this all blows over.

William Shatner recently enjoyed another trip around the sun, and as is tradition, he posted to social media to share a bit about how he spent his birthday. Fans didn't get all the details of how the Star Trek legend celebrated the big day, but he did indulge in one way that would've been a far cry from something that occurred on Captain Kirk's ship.

As the 2026 TV schedule rolls on and we've celebrated his return to television via a Super Bowl commercial, Shatner is loving life at 95. He posted a photo of the celebration on Instagram, in which he's seen puffing on a cigar:

That's against Starfleet regulation! Or at least it was during Gene Roddenberry's time.

The creator did not want any smoking in his space drama, based on the belief that such a utopian society would've eradicated it. It prevented executives from being able to put smoking ads in Star Trek, so it is a little jarring to see Shatner smoking a stogie imagining Captain Kirk do the same.

Of course, Star Trek didn't stay completely devoid of smoking. Picard notably featured Cristóbal Rios, who puffed on cigars during his adventures with Jean-Luc Picard, available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Rios was certainly an outlier, though, and enjoyed 21st-century customs so much he ended up staying back in the past when given the opportunity.

All this to say, seeing William Shatner with a cigar at 95 caught me off guard, but I'm 100% all-in on letting the actor do what he wants. Many of us will be lucky to live a life as full as his, and I'm always surprised by how active he remains despite being just five years away from 100. Sure, he has the occasional hospital trip here and there, but he finds a lot of time to appear at conventions as well!

William Shatner's 95th birthday comes at an odd time for Star Trek, as Paramount Skydance looks to complete a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. While that gets worked out, all future plans for Trek are on hold, leading some to try to petition for Shatner to take over the franchise. He doesn't seem too interested in that at the moment, but I'm sure he appreciates the continued love from the fandom decades after he left the franchise.

CinemaBlend wishes William Shatner a happy birthday, and hope that 95 is as great as every year that came before it. As for Star Trek, I'm hoping we get more show announcements soon, or at least a premiere date for Strange New Worlds Season 4.

There are a lot of opinions out there about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and amidst all the praise and criticism, one typically outspoken voice had remained silent. That changed recently when William Shatner shared some thoughts about the series, though not in the way some might have hoped.

Shatner isn't afraid to talk Trek, despite never really keeping up with the franchise. He made waves years back with a comment that creator Gene Roddenberry would be turning in his grave after watching the modern shows. So, obviously, those who are opposed to Starfleet Academy would like to get his thoughts on the new series.

This has led to fans frequently mentioning the show in his comments, and finally, he took the bait. Someone mentioned the budget for an episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in his comments, as he was doing some promotion for X. William Shatner then shared his thoughts, but it didn't have anything to do with the actual series:

It sounds like Shatner had a chance to see some of the young cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and had nothing but pleasant things to say. While some are satisfied with that, there's a community of fans who, not long ago, were petitioning for the actor to take control of the franchise and would likely prefer he say something scathing about the show.

Others interpreted the remark as a backhanded statement about the cast and tried to paint the actor's comment as a dig. One user specifically replied to the comment, trying to make a comparison between the new series streaming new episodes with a Paramount+ subscription, and the original:

This person wasn't the only one in the comments to make that kind of statement, but they did end up being the one that William Shatner replied to. The actor wasn't entertaining any replies about his comment being misconstrued, and wanted to add that he is cute as well:

Either William Shatner didn't understand what the comment was getting at, or he didn't want to have to walk back another disparaging statement about Star Trek. It's also worth noting that he's in the midst of promoting X Money on the platform and probably didn't want his comments to devolve into a Trek discussion, as they likely would.

The exchange comes just days ahead of the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and not long after the series wrapped filming on Season 2. While there's no word yet about whether it'll return for Season 3, the showrunner and EP hinted they're feeling bullish it'll come based on the tease of how next season ends.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's Season 1 finale streams on Paramount+ on March 12th. Tune in to see how this year rounds out for the cadets, and what's ahead for next season.

Super Bowl LX is on the way, and while the game itself is still far off, there are plenty of big game ads already online. From Kendall Jenner betting against her ex-boyfriends to Clydesdales raising eagles, this year has a lot of strong contenders. We even have an ad with William Shatner, which is actually one giant poop joke.

When Raisin Bran first teased Shatner as its celebrity spokesperson for its big game ad, I assumed there would be a Star Trek bent. "Will Shat" was in a Captain's chair and spaceship of some kind, but I doubt this mission to increase fiber intake and get people to poop more was Federation-approved. Take a look:

I can't believe I've been a Star Trek fan for so long and have never once thought about how saying "William Shat" could be used to circumvent potential FCC violations due to swearing in advertising. In fairness, I didn't go to marketing school, but if I did, that realization might've hit me a lot sooner.

I do have to say that referring to Shatner as the "Bran ambassador" was pretty perfect. I also liked the creative ways the ad continued to push the boundaries of how they could use "Will Shat" in an innocent enough way where it could mean two things. "Will Shat on a car" definitely got a chuckle out of me, and I'm sure many watching the ad for the first time on game day will get a laugh out of it as well.

I'm a little surprised the 94-year-old actor would make himself the butt of a Raisin Bran joke, but given the money that advertisers pay to make Super Bowl ads, I'm sure he was handsomely compensated for doing so. Plus, it's not the first time that William Shatner has had to face a bit of mockery, all in the name of fun. For all the Shatner impressions I've seen actors perform over the years, this is one performance they may not be so ready to emulate.

Shatner's big game commercial comes at a time when some are calling for him to take over the Star Trek franchise, though the actor doesn't seem to be taking those endorsements seriously. For now, he seems content to continue to pop up at conventions and make appearances when he can, and make some side cash in a commercial.

Super Bowl LX kicks off on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8th. I'm getting more excited with each passing day about the game, and all the other commercials we may see before the night is over.

The internet is popping off with a bunch of 2026 Super Bowl ads, and between Kendall Jenner's Kardashian Curse and Budweiser's eagle, it's going to be hard for other companies to get attention during the big game. It's no surprise then that Kellogg's broke out the big guns, or should I say phasers, and got William Shatner for a big Raisin Bran spot.

Days after paparazzi caught him eating cereal in his car at a stoplight, Raisin Bran has revealed that "Shat is about to get real" in an ad prepped for Super Bowl LX. We only see the actor for a brief moment, which clearly channels Star Trek as he's sitting in a Captain's chair. Take a look:

Shatner may not be the man to take the reins of the Star Trek franchise, but damn, he can make a great commercial. I'm excited for this solely because I remember how iconic his Priceline ads were back in the day, and the comedic flair he can bring simply by being himself.

Of course, Shatner doesn't need to rely on his Star Trek knowledge (or lack thereof) because he has done a phenomenal job of creating his own brand over the years. Playing William Shatner, the guy from a sci-fi series, in a commercial is just as valuable as pretending to be Captain Kirk... if not moreso.

Whether that means this Raisin Bran ad will outshine Andy Samberg's Hellman's ad, or that wild Uber Eats commercial is another story. I don't think a brand like Kellogg's is going to go too over-the-top with its promotion, considering it's already a household name in the cereal industry. That said, I am eager to see what this ad brings to the table and whether Shatner can still sparkle amid all the conversation tied to Super Bowl LX.

In addition to all the commercial chatter, Super Bowl LX will be the long-awaited rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, which happened over a decade ago. Readers may not remember all the details of the game, but no doubt remember Malcolm Butler's goal line interception of Russell Wilson that sealed the game for the Patriots in its final moments.

I would say that while the game is a point of interest for many, the big topic surrounding this year is Bad Bunny's halftime performance. His being picked as the game's performer caused quite a polarizing response, to the point that even the President of the United States commented on it. Whatever the outcome of the game, it feels like this will be a night people are talking about for a long time.

Super Bowl LX is set to kick off on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8th. CinemaBlend is excited for the big night and all that may come from it, so be sure to check back in the day of the game and on the week leading up.

A new Star Trek series is available with a Paramount+ subscription, which means it's time once again for the fandom to fight about modern changes in the series and what is "authentic" to Gene Roddenberry's vision. This time around, however, we have people in government weighing in, including one person asking William Shatner to take control of the franchise.

Stephen Miller, United States Homeland Security Advisor, recently posted the message to Shatner hoping Paramount would bring him back to lead the franchise and its shows and movies into the future. For those who missed it, here's his post on X:

William Shatner offered a tongue-in-cheek response to the plea, but others replied to the comment with a lot of enthusiasm. As a longtime Trekkie with love for Shatner and the franchise, I have to talk about how terrible of an idea that is for those who may not be aware.

By His Own Admission, William Shatner Has Not And Will Not Actually Watch Star Trek

While he's definitely attended screenings of the movies and watched an episode here or there, William Shatner has never actually regularly watched or kept up with Star Trek. In general, he's said he doesn't watch a lot of television, but he especially doesn't like watching things he's been in. This may be breaking news to a more casual audience, but most Trekkies know because he frequently says as much at appearances, and he does a lot of those.

I think the reason why the mainstream is often confused by this fact is that Shatner has offered up his opinion many times over the years about things that Star Trek should or shouldn't be doing. Anyone is free to express their opinion, of course, but it should be noted that his opinion is largely formed by hearing comments from people replying to his social media posts or taking photos with him at conventions. To say his finger is on the pulse for anything Star Trek has done since he wrapped working on TOS would be disingenuous, to say the least.

He Co-Wrote And Directed One Of The Worst Star Trek Movies

As Captain Kirk, William Shatner played one of Star Trek's best characters, but let's not forget he's also responsible for one of the worst movies the franchise ever made. Shatner co-wrote and directed The Final Frontier, a movie that, again, he himself has admitted sucks.

Granted, Shatner has maintained that had he been able to do the story the way he wanted, and had the budget it warranted, the movie wouldn't be as it is. Unless there was a temporal distortion that allowed us to see a timeline in which that happened and measured it up against reality, we're never going to know the answer to whether that's true. For now, we live in the reality in which the version we saw is all we have, and it won a Golden Razzie for the effort.

William Shatner Is 94 Years Old

He may be the most active nonagenarian on the planet, but there's no denying age is a factor when it comes to selecting the person to shape the future of a franchise. At 94 years old, I doubt he's itching to spend his days in meetings developing Star Trek television programming, and even if he were, I'd question whether the studio would extend him the offer to do that.

Speaking to Star Trek specifically, which just launched the critically-acclaimed Starfleet Academy, we're looking at a franchise that is trying to draw in a younger audience. Not to be cynical, but I don't know of many 90-year-olds that can accurately peg down the things the current young generation is into. I think that task is best left to the people currently working in the industry, as new voices and fresh faces come into the shows.

Star Trek, by design, is meant to change and evolve. The reason it doesn't go back to the moral message and storytelling of the '60s is that these aren't the messages we need to hear right now. Sure, there are parallels we can look at and liken modern issues to, but we're past the point of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" needing to be the strongest moral message the franchise can send.

He's Been A Poster Boy Of Discouraging Progressive Ideas In Trek...Which Is The Point Of The Franchise

Once again, William Shatner hasn't kept up with Star Trek that had nothing to do with him, and is largely unfamiliar with even some of his old episodes. This led to a pretty wild moment during San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, in which he stated creator Gene Roddenberry would "turn in his grave" if he learned of some of the things happening in modern shows.

The quote was used as a rallying cry for those critical of Star Trek in the past decade, with some suggesting Roddenberry would be against inclusive casting or some of the ideals being promoted. CinemaBlend spoke to Shatner to get clarity on what he meant a couple of years later, and the star said he was referring to sexual relationships between crew members.

This somewhat goes back to Shatner being ignorant of Star Trek, but sexual relationships between crew members have happened in the franchise for a very long time. If we want to get technical, Captain Kirk oversaw the marriage of two crew members in "Balance Of Terror." Sex between crew members has been a part of the franchise for quite a long time.

It's unclear if William Shatner shares any of the more extreme views some critics of Star Trek have, so I won't speak to that. What I will say is it seems he draws a crowd of supporters that speak out about "DEI" and "woke" in his comments, and I think if he were put in charge, there'd be an expectation for him to end that.

Alex Kurtzman May Be Signing A New Deal

It's true that Alex Kurtzman, who has overseen Star Trek's big relaunch on streaming since the launch of Discovery, has a deal with Paramount Skydance that expires in 2026. While some have speculated he'll exit the franchise, Kurtzman suggested to CinemaBlend he'll sign a new deal, though he had to be vague in wording given he couldn't publicly comment on what's happening behind closed doors.

If that happens, then it's clear that Paramount Skydance is pleased enough with Alex Kurtzman and what he's done so far to trust him with the future of Star Trek a little longer. I think that's a smart move given all the successes we've seen in recent years, but if others think William Shatner is the answer given his limited experience, knowledge of the subject and age, who am I to judge?

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Check out the new series, as well as classic Trek shows, as we await news of some sort about who will guide the franchise in the coming years.

Johnny Carson is one of the best modern late-night talk show hosts, and it seemed like anybody who was anybody wound up on The Tonight Show during his tenure. Still to this day, Carson is still talked about, with Jimmy Kimmel revealing what he learned about late-night following Carson’s final show, and it’s that he would never be anywhere near as good as Carson. However, during Carson’s time on The Tonight Show, he allegedly banned a handful of huge celebrities, such as Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, Dana Carvey, and even William Shatner.

Recently, Mark Malkoff wrote a book with David Ritz about Carson’s life and career titled Love Johnny Carson. It features interviews with those who knew him best and gives a look at him both during and after his time on The Tonight Show. Allegedly, Carson’s producer for 22 years, Peter Lassally, told Malkhoff that Carson had a ban list (via Fox News). He claimed that “Burt Reynolds and Rich Little have both claimed to have seen a ‘hard copy’ with over thirty names on it,” though to his knowledge, a physical list never existed.

One of the names allegedly on the list was fellow late night host Leno, who made his Tonight Show debut in March 1977 and was once a regular on the talk show. The book claims that after the “audience laughs were so light” during his fifth appearance in February 1978, Carson “decided never to invite him back.” As Malkoff wrote:

Of course, Leno would eventually return to The Tonight Show as host for 22 combined years, from 1992 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014, so he wasn’t permanently banned from the talk show. Just blacklisted (allegedly) during a portion of Carson’s tenure.

He wouldn’t be the only one allegedly banned. Ninety-four year-old Star Trek favorite William Shatner wasn’t asked back after he apparently broke three Tonight Show rules during an appearance in 1983. This included speaking “monotonously for four minutes straight” without letting Carson butt in.

Like Leno, Shatner actually did come back to the show, but only when there were guest hosts and Carson was not in the seat, which seemingly lends credence to this rumor.

Other allegedly banned guests included fellow former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, which came after she reportedly made a joke after Carson told her not to. In addition, popular guest Carl Sagan, who appeared at least 24 times, eventually didn’t return after the scientist corrected Carson twice while he and Carson were discussing Halley’s comet. Finally, SNL star Dana Carvey, was allegedly “permanently banned” from appearing as a guest after he parodied the talk show in a sketch. (I guess he was not turtle-y enough for the Tonight Show's turtle club.)

Orson Welles, Jerry Lewis, and Steve Allen were also allegedly on Carson’s banned list for various reasons. None of this is confirmed officially, of course, though the information around each of the various celebrities and their final appearances is pretty specific.

Even if the banned list is true, Carson was still a respected talk show host, and he certainly seemed to know who was and was not worthy of his own time, though this whole thing does make me wonder if a list like that exists for other talk shows.

Out of every Star Trek actor, few are as honest with their opinion as William Shatner. The 94-year-old actor will get candid pretty much with anyone who is asking about pretty much anything, especially if it comes to his time on Star Trek. He's gained his fair share of critics over the years because of this; now, he may have a few more after some harsh words for former co-stars who have spoken ill of him.

Before I get into these latest comments, it's worth pointing out Shatner has famously feuded with TOS co-star George Takei over the past few decades about their time working together, and even had issues with Wil Wheaton after the actor shared a story about him being rude. Now, he's seemingly taking shots at them, as well as others who criticized him, after a fan on X made a comment about how he was disliked on the set of the sci-fi series. In retort, Shatner wrote:

In fairness to the alleged "part-time day players" I would wager that William Shatner doesn't get nearly as many questions about being on Boston Legal or T.J. Hooker as much as he does Star Trek. As such, it would make sense there aren't as many stories about his co-stars on those shows. Or, it's also possible he acted differently on set after his time on the breakout sci-fi series.

While stars may have definitely shared unsavory stories about Shatner unprompted, I'd also argue there's enough history of his on-set behavior on the show that it may lead to it coming up again and again. It'll inevitably be asked about when these stars appear at conventions, and there are a lot of conventions with a Star Trek presence. I can't say I've heard of a Boston Legal convention, though I can't say those don't exist either.

Whether that makes it right for these stars to continue to share these BTS stories when William Shatner has apologized is another question. As someone who has followed the actor for a while, I do think it's worth mentioning that Shatner has riled up the fandom a few times in the past with some of his opinions about the franchise outside of his relationships with his co-stars, too.

One example would be when the star famously mentioned at San Diego Comic-Con that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry would be "rolling in his grave" if he saw what the modern shows were like. The comments sent waves throughout the fandom, thinking it was a shot at the increasingly progressive nature of the program and its inclusivity. Shatner later clarified he was talking about sexual relationships between crew members, something Roddenberry was against.

Ultimately, though, there is no Star Trek without William Shatner, and he still has plenty of fans despite the criticisms against him. All this to say, he's probably not too worried about what people are saying about him, but will speak up if he feels the need to do so.

William Shatner likely isn't headed back to Star Trek anytime soon, but fans can catch his previous appearances with a Paramount Plus subscription. I know I'm past-due for a rewatch of TOS, which might be worth doing as we get closer to the end of Strange New Worlds.

One thing about William Shatner is that he's never afraid to offer his opinion. After rumors surfaced this year about him returning to Star Trek, a fan asked why his character was ever killed off in the first place. Shatner wasted no time responding to a critic of his decision to participate in Generations despite knowing how James T. Kirk died, and was pretty sassy about it.

Shatner is still active on X and will occasionally interact with fans who ask him various things about Star Trek. Unfortunately, one fan made the mistake of asking why the Kirk actor "agreed" to let his character be killed off in Generations, and Shatner pointed out there was little other choice for him to say otherwise:

I do wonder what Star Trek: Generations would be like had William Shatner walked and Captain Kirk was killed off-screen. Perhaps there would be more time for Data to make jokes, which was my personal highlight of the movie when I saw it for the first time.

In all seriousness, though, without Kirk's death, I'm not sure there'd be much of a reason to make this movie at all. It's more or less the most notable thing about Generations, which is why CinemaBlend has it ranked the lowest on its list of best Star Trek movies.

William Shatner wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to play James T. Kirk, and it's not like he's really jumped at any chance to play the character in a live-action series or movie since then. I would wager that at the time, he was more or less ok with being written off, as his complaints mainly stem from the execution of how the death happened and not Kirk's actual death.

I can see where he's coming from. To see someone who is viewed as one of Star Trek's best characters die from a fall after a bridge collapse was pretty disappointing. It's certainly not a death any Klingon would call "honorable," so why should fans feel any differently?

William Shatner is announcing appearances at events once again after fans learned earlier this year that he was rushed to the hospital. The 94-year-old told his followers not to worry, however. All he did was "overindulge" in some beverages, and there was no cause for alarm.

Watch Star Trek: Generations right now with your Paramount+ subscription. I'm eager to watch new Trek in 2026, and hoping that Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds Season 4 live up to the hype!

Halloween is a great time of the year, especially if you're someone who enjoys watching the best horror movies while feasting on candy. That said, not all of us have to deal with allegations that they resemble an iconic slasher movie character, and for that I do pity William Shatner. The actor recently tried to convince his followers that Halloween's Michael Myers does not wear a mask that looks like his face, but I'm having trouble being convinced.

As many may know, "The Shape" mask that John Carpenter used for Halloween was loosely based on William Shatner's likeness. Well, today was the day that Shatner decided to try and prove the mask didn't resemble him by posting a photo of it with makeup on over on X. Take a look asd see if you agree:

You know, I would've agreed when the mask was pure white, but now that I've seen this, I'm even more convinced it's Shatner's face in mask form. If he was hoping that this would dissuade people from associating him with the Halloween icon Michael Myers, I'm afraid he's sadly mistaken.

Of course, I think there's a good possibility that William Shatner made the post in jest, as he's even worn the mask on Halloween in the past to surprise people. I will say that now that he's in his 90s, I think the mask looks even more accurate to his current face than it did when the original Halloween movie was made back in 1978.

Hey, there are worse horror characters to be the inspiration for, as I recently wrote about the similarities between Michael Myers and John Wick. Aside from the fact that he's a cold and unfeeling mass murderer, Myers is a bad ass horror villain who might just have the ability to take down a lesser Marvel hero. Does this mean that William Shatner is also sort of like John Wick? I'll let readers decide for themselves on that one.

One thing I will say is that I'm happy to hear from William Shatner as the 2025 TV schedule winds down, and I'm wondering if we'll ever get him on an upcoming Star Trek show in the future. It would be great to give him some role in the forthcoming Starfleet Academy series, even if it's just a small one to acknowledge his legacy and what he meant to the franchise.

I'd also settle for another Halloween movie, but we're still waiting to hear on how or when that may happen. The latest trilogy of movies featuring the character is over, and Jamie Lee Curtis announced in 2024 that she's done with playing Laurie Strode if Michael does come back. With that confirmed, it seems the closest we'll get to seeing Michael Myers in 2025 is seeing William Shatner try to make a case that the mask doesn't resemble him.

Hunker down with a bulk of the classic Halloween movies by watching them on demand via AMC. I've been blowing through the franchise during the spooky season, and now I will never be able to see the mask again without thinking of William Shatner.

Actor William Shatner has been in the public eye for decades, and is perhaps best known for playing James T. Kirk in the Star Trek movies and TV show (which is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription). He's got entire generations of fans, who were concerned when reports claimed he was rushed to the hospital. But not so fast, because his reps are denying the online chatter. Let's break it all down.

The report about Shatner's reported health crisis comes from TMZ, which claimed he was hospitalized after suffering a medical emergency. This comes shortly after he beat stage 4 melanoma, so the public thought the worse. But his agent Harry Gold has clarified things, claiming he experienced low blood sugar and called for medical help out of an abundance of caution. Per his rep, he's already home and "he's fine."

UPDATE: William Shatner took to Twitter to hilariously address rumors about his health Check it out below:

This news is sure to be relief for the 94 year-old actor's many fans, especially the Trekkies out there. A number of OG Star Trek actors have passed away in recent years, including Nichelle Nichols' death in 2022, while Leonard Nimoy died in 2015. Luckily it seems like the Captain of the USS Enterprise is home and healthy after all.

Given his iconography, there are a ton of fans who would be concerned if the star of Boston Legal (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) were to fall ill. He's been keeping busy in recent years, with Shatner famously going to space in 2021. After all those years of pretending to be Captain of the Enterprise, this was a viral moment of life imitating art.

In March of this year William Shatner celebrated his 94th birthday, thanks his friends and fans for filling his world with so much love. Getting to that age is already remarkable, but based off the public's response to the hospitalization chatter, it's clear fans want him around for as long as possible. Captain Kirk forever!

At the time of writing this story, Shatner is attached to a number of upcoming projects, for both the movies and TV. Trekkies will recall that in 2022 he reprised his role as Kirk in 765874 – Unification, which used digital technology to bring Kirk and Nimoy's Spock back together in a story that followed Star Trek Generations. This is yet another reason why there's so much continued love for the actor, who will likely always be synonymous with his role in the Star Trek franchise.

Both casual and hardcore fans can celebrate that Shatner's reportedly not in the midst of a medical crisis. Although smart money says that fans are likely going to be paying close attention to any update about what he's up to. For now, Shatner's tenure in the Star Trek franchise is streaming on Paramount+.

In the same tradition that produced a fairy tale story in Season 1, the Lower Decks crossover and musical in Season 2, and the recently-announced puppet episode for Season 4, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 delivered an episode with an especially kooky premise this week on the 2025 TV schedule. In order to test an early version of the holodeck, La’an Noonien Singh entered a murder mystery simulation revolving around the cast and crew of a TV show from the 1960s called The Last Frontier. It was obviously meant to poke fun at Star Trek: The Original Series, and Paul Wesley, who plays James T. Kirk on Strange New Worlds, opened up about breaking out his William Shatner imitation for the events of “A Space Adventure Hour.”

While Wesley’s Kirk performance is usually relatively subdued, “A Space Adventure Hour” gave the actor the opportunity to enter caricature territory when the Enterprise’s short-lived holodeck used Kirk as the model for Maxwell Saint, the lead actor of The Last Frontier. Speaking with TVLine, Wesley had this to say about channeling William Shatner’s Kirk from the TOS days, but without going too far with the impression:

Anyone who’s spent time watching the original voyages of the starship Enterprise that ran on TV from 1966 to 1969 will instantly recognize that halting, oftentimes overly dramatic dialogue reading. It’s so often used for William Shatner impressions, and now Paul Wesley has gotten to do his own within an official Star Trek production. That said, there were times during the shooting of “A Space Adventure Hour” (which also introduced a new romance for La’an) that Wesley had to pull back a little bit on the Shatner-isms, recalling:

Paul Wesley’s William Shatner impression was just one of the ways that “A Space Adventure Hour” served as a funny, yet heartfelt homage to both Star Trek: The Original Series and the behind-the-scenes of it all decades ago. Other examples included Anson Mount playing a Gene Roddenberry-type figure and Rebecca Romijn playing a woman who helped get The Last Frontier on the air and was heavily invested in its success, just like what Lucille Ball did for Star Trek. Unfortunately, the holodeck in this episode proved to be more trouble than its worth, so don’t expect Strange New Worlds to revisit this simulation by the time the show’s finished its five-season run.

Yes, there is an endpoint already plotted out for what’s currently the only Star Trek TV series airing. However, we have a long ways to go before reaching it, so watch new episodes Thursday on Paramount+ in the meantime. Also don’t forget that Starfleet Academy, the next of the upcoming Star Trek TV shows, will premiere in early 2026.

Some actors, no matter how long their career or how great their talent, will forever be first known for one iconic TV role. This isn't an indictment of their careers at all. In fact, in many ways, it tells the whole story. They were so good at one particular role that no matter what, that's what people will think of first. To be sure, these are some of the best actors of their generations ,and they deserve praise for all their roles, but especially these.

Kelsey Grammer - Frasier Crane

For a total of an amazing 20 years, Kelsey Grammer has played Frasier Crane. First on Cheers, then on its spinoff Frasier, and again in the reboot of Frasier in the 2020s. There may be no more obvious actor to include on this list.

Mariska Hargitay - Olivia Benson

Mariska Hargitay is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, and she's carved out on heck out her own career playing Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has played since the end of the 20th Century, more than 25 seasons in total. There is no other character in prime time history with a longer run than Hargitay's Benson. It's remarkable.

Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth

The late Jessica Walter had an incredible career, but for many, she'll always be known for one of her final roles, Lucille Bluth on the cult classic Arrested Development. She was so hilarious and quotable that it's easy to see why this is the case.

Peter Falk - Columbo

Peter Falk completely embodied Detective Columbo on the show that carried that character's name. He defined a new kind of TV detective, a style that has been often imitated but never duplicated over the years since Columbo debuted. He was funny and wicked smart. A Holmesian-style detective who never found a dry cleaner.

Tom Selleck - Thomas Magnum

Tom Selleck was a hard one to include here. Thomas Magnum was one of two iconic roles, along with Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods, that Selleck has played in his career. That's not to mention Jesse Stone, another fan-favorite. But in the end, it's all about Magnum P.I., one of the best shows ever.

Lauren Graham - Lorelai Gilmore

Lauren Graham is another tough one here, because Lorelai Gilmore is hardly her only big role on TV, but none of her other shows have been nearly as enduring as Gilmore Girls and that isn't likely to change in the future. It'll always be what her fans think of first.

Lucille Ball - Lucy Ricardo

Lucille Ball was a groundbreaking legend, and that is entirely due to her iconic character Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy. The list of what made the show, and the comedic actor, is so long, we could never fill it out here, but she also doesn't really need any explanation. She's the queen of early TV for very good reason, and that can never be taken away.

Peter Dinklage - Tyrion Lannister

Peter Dinklage might not like to hear this... or maybe he would... but Tyrion Lannister is such an amazing role, and Dinklage's performance is completely worthy of such an iconic literary and TV character. Game of Thrones took over the television watching audience completely, and Dinklage's Lannister was almost everyone's favorite. He's done great work all through his long career, but it will be impossible to top Tyrion.

Sean Hayes - Jack McFarland

Jack McFarland from Will & Grace is one of the most underappreciated characters in any sitcom in Hollywood history. Sean Hayes is fantastic in the role, and he'll have people saying "Just Jack!" forever.

Angela Lansbury - Jessica Fletcher

Angela Lansbury had a storied career that lasted decades, and every time she appeared on screen, she lit it up. Jessica Fletcher on Murder She Wrote was her crowning achievement. She's one of the best TV detectives of all time, even if there were way too many murders in Cabot Cove than there should have been.

Henry Winkler - The Fonz

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli. Fonzie. The Fonz. A character of many names, and one iconic look. Henry Winkler has had a career that most actors can only dream of, but his role on Happy Days will always be what he is first known for. We should all be so cool.

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy Summers

Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in the movie Cruel Intentions may be her most iconic movie role, but it doesn't eclipse her role as Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not even close. It'll always be her most beloved role.

James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano

On one hand, it's a shame that James Gandolfini is on this list. His premature death will always have us asking "what if?" On the other hand, he is so freaking GREAT as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, that its impossible not to include him here. Just watching him in anything else, or old interviews, you quickly realize that he completely disappeared into the gangster. It's remarkable.

Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully

Speaking from experience, I can say that many teenagers in the 1990s have a huge crush on Dana Scully on The X-Files. She was smart and capable, but with an air of mystery that really kept viewers guessing, in the best way.

William Shatner - Captain Kirk

Personally, I think William Shatner's best role was on Boston Legal. He was also amaing in TJ Hooker. However, even if he had 1000 legendary roles over his career, he would still be most remember for James T. Kirk in Str Trek. That's how iconic the role, and the show are.

Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing

It was a real tragedy when the world lost Matthew Perry in late 2023. He was a once-in-a-generation talent and, in many ways, was first among equals on Friends. He was in some other great projects, like The Whole Nine Yards and Fools Rush In, but let's be honest, he'll always be Chandler in our hearts.

Amy Poehler - Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler was a star on SNL and in a ton of great movies. However, she was absolutely born to play Leslie Knope on Parks & Rec. It's almost hard to believe she isn't actually Leslie in real life, and that's meant to be the most sincere of compliments.

Michael K. Williams - Omar Little

Of all the amazing characters and actors on The Wire, Omar and Michael K. Williams stand out above them all. He was one of the most honest and complex characters in TV history, and the late Williams, another actor we lost way too soon, will be forever remembered for his portrayal of the Baltimore stick-up man.

George Wendt - Norm Peterson

Cheers had an amazing ensemble of comedic actors, and as a kid, my favorite was always George Wendt and his character Norm. He was the most popular guy in the bar and the most popular with viewers. When Wendt died in 2025, everyone started sharing their favorite moments of his from the show, despite the show ending decades ago.

Mary Tyler Moore - Mary Richards

Mary Tyler Moore made it after all, and all on her own. Her titular show was the highlight of her long, incredible career, and it's a good thing the show was named after her, because she deserves to be remembered forever for it.

Caroll O'Connor - Archie Bunker

Caroll O'Connor's role as Archie Bunker became one of the most iconic and most important in television history. The groundbreaking sitcom, All In The Family, changed TV forever, and Bunker, with his bigotry and chauvinism, reinvented just how much a simple sitcom could say about society.

Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute

Of all the characters on The Office, Dwight, played by Rainn Wilson, was the one we all loved to hate the most. It must have been such a fun role for Wilson, because he never phoned it in, and he never let us down; we could count on him driving us nuts every week. I mean that in the very best way.

Wayne Knight - Newman

Wayne Knight has popped up in all kinds of roles in his career. We'll never forget him for his performance in the original Jurassic Park, for example, but it's Newman on Seinfeld that we'll always love him most for. He might not have been a main character, but that is testimony to just how good he was. He's as remembered as the "big four" despite playing a much more limited role. That takes a great actor and an even better performance, and he did over the entire run of the show.

Ian McShane - Al Swearengen

Al Swearengen from Deadwood is one of the best characters of the prestige era of TV. Ian McShane has had a long, distinguished career, and at the top of the list of his great performances is as the foul-mouthed, tavern-owning gangster in the HBO Western.

Danica McKellar - Winnie Cooper

Ask anyone in Gen X about Danica McKellar, and they might mention her Hallmark movies. They might also mention her wonderful guest turn on The West Wing. In the case of both of those, though, they will come after they fondly reminisce about watching her as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. They grew up with Winnie and Kevin (Fred Savage). It was her earliest role, but it remains her most iconic.

In 1994, nearly 30 years after William Shatner debuted as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series, his onscreen journey with the character came to an end. The movie Star Trek: Generations saw Kirk dying while helping Jean-Luc Picard prevent Soran killing millions in an attempt to reach the Nexus. Over three decades later, it’s been announced that Shatner’s Kirk will return in a way that, while not happening in an upcoming Star Trek show, did legit surprise me as a fan.

IDW Publishing has announced a comic book series launching in September called Star Trek: The Last Starship, which is being written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, and illustrated by artist Adrián Bonilla. Per THR, the series will see Kirk being resurrected post-Generations, but not immediately afterward, i.e. the time when Deep Space Nine and Voyager were running. Instead, The Last Starship will take place in centuries later in The Burn era, which the characters in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 learned about when they traveled to the 32nd century.

For those who haven’t seen Discovery (which can be rectified with a Paramount+ subscription if you choose), The Burn was a disaster that saw most of the galaxy’s dilithium being rendered inert, resulting in the detonation of every warp core and killing trillions. This in turn destroyed the peace that the United Federation of Planets had maintained for centuries and nearly destroyed the interstellar union. It was only during the latter half of Discovery’s run, which took place more than a century after The Burn, that the Federation finally started to recover.

Star Trek: The Last Starship will see James T. Kirk resurrected during The Burn under mysterious circumstances. From there, he’ll lead a new ship and crew in an effort to “uphold Starfleet’s mission of unity across the cosmos” in this devastating time. It was also clarified that that The Last Starship is aimed to be accessible for all readers, and that Kirk will be surrounded by brand-new characters.

It should be noted that this isn’t the first time Kirk has been resurrected in written Star Trek material. William Shatner previously wrote a series of novels, informally known as the Shatnerverse, that saw the Borg and Romulans bringing him back to life and sent him to assassinate Jean-Luc Picard, though he was eventually retunred to normal. So while the news of another Kirk resurrection tale didn’t take me by surprise, the fact that it’s set during The Burn did. That said, this actually connects nicely with Star Trek: Picard Season 3 revealing that Kirk’s body had been transferred to the Daystrom Institute.

I’ve enjoyed Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing previous Star Trek comics, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they explain James T. Kirk’s resurrection in this continuity and fleshing out The Burn era in Star Trek: The Last Starship. Meanwhile, you can see Paul Wesley continue to play the pre-Original Series Kirk when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 premieres on the 2025 TV schedule next month.

Star Wars Day isn't considered a national holiday, though it often feels it should be, given how many notable Hollywood icons acknowledge and celebrate it. (Not to mention the A+ pun that sparked it all.) One of the biggest sci-fi actors of all time, William Shatner doesn't seem capable of letting the pop culture observance pass without reminding his millions of geeky followers that Star Trek still reigns supreme.

While plenty of Trekkies enjoy Star Wars, and it's safe to say debates about franchise superiority aren't quite as fervent these days as they once were, it's always fun to see playful razzing taking place between the two fandoms. Shatner is a master at tongue-in-cheek trolling, and put his skills to work informing Star Wars fans who their real father is:

The Shat Daddy didn't go into specifics on what that meant, exactly, , which is fine since the term Shat Daddy has a way of making other subjects seem pointless.

Though if I were to speculate, I'd say he's referring to the influence that Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek series had on George Lucas during the creation of Star Wars. Lucas shared in an interview for the documentary Trek Nation (via GeekTyrant) that his space opera franchise "stood on the shoulders" of Trek, and that his love for that sci-fi series factored into his creation of Han Solo, Princess Leia and the rest.

While I wouldn't be so bold as to say upcoming Trek shows we'll watch with a Paramount+ subscription influence the upcoming Star Wars shows on Disney+, I can see William Shatner's logic here. If George Lucas was a Trekkie, and admits to the original series was an influence on the trilogy, then it tracks that he's all of our daddies. I'm not going to be as dramatic as Luke Skywalker and shout It's not true, but rather move forward and get to know my new daddy better.

And while it's true that Star Wars definitely dominates at the box office while Star Trek has struggled to provide updates on the next batch of theatrical plans, there are some facts we can't ignore. For example, even with its stance of diplomacy and working for the greater good, it's safe to say Starfleet would've handled the Empire much better than the Rebel Alliance did.

Also, which franchise had one of its biggest stars actually travel to space, and which franchise only had its star congratulate the aforementioned celebrity for doing so? As one of the few private citizens to have seen Earth from above, It's hard to deny William Shatner is the "daddy" of sci-fi fans.

All jokes aside, there's nothing wrong with loving Star Wars more than Star Trek, or the other way around, or loving them both equally. The important thing is that both franchises are arguably the strongest they've ever been in their runs, and both played a role in making "being geeky" a mainstream personality trait these days. You don't need a paternity test to prove that, though If William Shatner was actually saying he was my father I would probably ask for one.

Nearly all things Star Wars-related are available to stream with.a Disney+ subscription, while Star Trek's character reign supreme over on Paramount+.

While fans continue to wait for upcoming Star Trek shows to arrive, there's a major event we should all acknowledge. William Shatner turns 94 today, March 22, and it might be his biggest year yet given his hints that he may return to play James T. Kirk. While we continue to speculate about his potential return, the actor shared a heartwarming message ahead of another year.

Shatner, whose performances in Star Trek are available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, was on Instagram talking to fans ahead of his 94th birthday. In a short but sweet message, he discussed his latest milestone, and he expressed his thanks to all who've made his life great:

The actor may not be able to watch himself in Star Trek, but he seems grateful that others have over the decades as they've helped give him the wonderful life he's still celebrating every day. In fact, Shatner has stayed busy in his 90s, doing everything from lending his voice to a short film featuring a de-aged Kirk to hosting a reality television show about Mars. He also does a ton of convention appearances yearly, and I wouldn't be shocked if he's one of the most mobile men in his 90s on Earth.

Trekkies were grateful to hear from William Shatner around his birthday. and sent him well wishes as he celebrated his major milestone with friends and family. The Instagram post was littered with positive comments about the fictional Starfleet Captain, as can be seen below:

• Happy Birthday Captain❤️ - tini_stielzchen
• You should be eternal!!! I admire you so much - alem.angeles.belen
• Happy Birthday Sir Shatner, thanks for existing and for bringing Kirk to life, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️❤️ - _ladyhobbit
• Ditto, Thank you for actually making something worth watching on T.V. - cursedscythe_poetry
• Happy birthday old friend. May you have another 94. - iamseanmaguire

It's so great to see love for the actor remains strong in the Star Trek fandom despite the amount of time he's been away from it. His last official appearance as Captain Kirk happened in the movie Star Trek Generations, where his character was killed off in a controversial manner.

This has led to the question of how William Shatner could possibly be in talks to return to Star Trek, though there is no shortage of scenarios.

Many are quick to point out that Kirk was resurrected in a series of novels via a project that was vaguely alluded to in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.

It's also possible an alternate version of the Captain could show up, now that Lower Decks has established multiple universes exist in the show. There's no shortage of scenarios to talk about, and I'm sure we'll be discussing many of them as Shatner celebrates another trip around the sun.

CinemaBlend wishes William Shatner a happy 94th birthday and can't wait to see what the year brings for the beloved Star Trek actor. Of course, we'll keep a close eye on any updates about him potentially returning to play Kirk and other news about the franchise that pops up.

For the first time in over three decades, William Shatner could potentially return to the franchise via an upcoming Star Trek project. While it's safe to say nothing is set in stone, the actor had fans excited after dropping a big reveal at a recent convention appearance.

After teaming up with OTOY and Star Wars actor Sam Witwer to bring back Kirk via short film, William Shatner addressed the idea of providing a more official return for Captain James T. Kirk. Here's what he told the crowd at FanExpo Vancouver, followed by my theory for how Shatner could come back in a Trek series.

William Shatner Confirmed He's Hearing A Pitch Soon To Return As Captain Kirk

While on the stage as a guest at FanExpo Vancouver, William Shatner was asked about returning as Captain Kirk to Star Trek. Those in the audience might've rolled their eyes at the question, considering how often the actor is asked yearly. This time, however, he had a different answer to give (via SlashFilm):

I'm very curious about who this writer is, and why William Shatner was so impressed by them. I used to think the star coming back was impossible, but after Star Trek: Lower Decks managed to get Jolene Blalock out of retirement, I'm ready to believe anything is possible. Plus, with one upcoming series on the way, there's a great opportunity to bring him back.

Shatner's Kirk Could Appear In Starfleet Academy

I've long thought that Robert Picardo's return to Starfleet Academy as the EMH could pave the way for past Star Trek actors to be guest stars. As a Hologram, he can pull up just about any previous character under the guise of them appearing as a hologram. Could this be how William Shatner returns as Captain Kirk?

This is my theory, as the 93-year-old actor is incredibly busy with all of his appearances at conventions across the world. A short cameo where the cadets are watching Kirk give an interview or something in that vein would be perfect for Starfleet Academy and a cool way to give classic Trek fans a real treat in this new series.

Of course, it's just a reminder that all William Shatner said was that he was going to hear a pitch, and there's a chance that the pitch is not even an official one offered by Star Trek. This could be another situation, like where he is part of a deepfake short film, but I guess all we can do is wait and see.

Readers can watch William Shatner's previous Star Trek appearances at their leisure if they have a Paramount+ subscription. We'll keep an ear to the ground should any other updates pop up about the actor's return, which will be a big deal if it pans out.

There have been all kinds of different eras throughout WWE’s history. The New Generation, the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression phase, the PG-TV days, and others quickly come to mind. But one that is thankfully mostly forgotten these days is the WWE Raw Celebrity Host era between 2009 and 2014. Celebrity involvement in WWE has always been a thing going back to WrestleMania 1, but the company went overboard over a decade ago, and so many random names hosted or appeared on the flagship show.

Here are 32 random celebrities who hosted Monday Night Raw…

Bob Barker - September 7, 2009

In addition to being one of the best game show hosts of all time, the late Bob Barker was also one of the most unforgettable Raw hosts. Appearing on a September 2009 episode, the The Price is Right legend held a WWE-themed version of the show, which included an appearance from the villainous Irwin R. Schyster.

William Shatner - February 1, 2010

William Shatner has had multiple appearances on Raw over the years (his 1995 run-in with Jerry “The King” Lawler is hilarious), so it only made sense for the Star Trek icon to host WWE’s flagship show in February 2010. Captain Kirk singing WWE superstars’ entrance themes was not what anyone expected, but it was still wild and low-key great.

Pee-Wee Herman - November 1, 2010

Pee-Wee Herman, aka the late Paul Reubens, hosted Monday Night Raw back in November 2010 when the weekly show was broadcast from the iconic Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. Herman had some great run-ins throughout the night and was even paired up with Big Show, who was dressed up like the beloved character.

Jeremy Piven - August 3, 2009

If you’ve watched any WWE clip shows over the years, you have more than likely seen the infamous “SummerFest” promo from Jeremy Piven. Appearing on Raw to promote The Goods in August 2009, the Entourage star flubbed and gave WWE’s SummerSlam an unintentional new name on live TV.

Jerry Springer - February 15, 2010

Jerry Springer and WWE go hand-in-hand, so it was only a matter of time before the late TV show host popped up on Monday Night Raw. In February 2010, the former mayor of Cincinnati showed up to host the weekly wrestling show where he added some of the gimmicks from the long-running Jerry Springer show.

Betty White - February 10, 2014

Betty White did a lot in her nearly 100 years on this planet, including hosting Monday Night Raw in February 2014. Though the Golden Girls star didn’t clothesline anyone or compete in the Elimination Chamber, she did have some great moments on the mic in various promo segments.

Seth Green - July 13, 2009

Seth Green was one of the first Monday Night Raw celebrity hosts. But the Robot Chicken co-creator did more than just talk, as he got himself involved in a six-man tag main event in which he teamed up with John Cena and Triple H where they defeated Legacy.

Hugh Jackman - September 19, 2011

Hugh Jackman has been on Raw a couple of times over the years, with the better of the two being his time on the show promoting Real Steel in September 2011. Near the end of the match, Wolverine got in on the action and clocked United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in the jaw, helping Zack Ryder win a non-title match. That punch was just so great!

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Joe Manganiello - March 24, 2014

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joe Manganiello showed up on Monday Night Raw in March 2014 to promote their action flick, Sabotage. But while doing so, the pair of actors also got physical with The Miz, who tried to crash their in-ring promo with Hulk Hogan.

Shaquille O’Neal - July 27, 2009

Shaquille O’Neal famously showed up in the 3rd Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, but that wasn’t his first time in WWE. Back in 2009, when he was still playing basketball, Shaq appeared on Raw and had a hilarious interaction with Chris Jericho. Seriously, Y2J looks like a child next to the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer.

The Muppets - October 31, 2011

The Muppets and WWE are two things you probably never thought you’d see together. Well, that happened in October 2011 when beloved characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Beaker (his run-in with Sheamus is hilarious) all showed up on the Raw Supershow.

David Hasselhoff - April 12, 2010

A couple of weeks after WrestleMania 26, David Hasselhoff showed up on Monday Night Raw recorded from London’s O2 Arena. The special guest host entered the ring to one of his own songs, danced around with some ladies, and then kicked off the night’s festivities. It was wild, it was random, and it was just something to see.

The Hot Tube Time Machine Cast - March 29, 2010

Around the release of Hot Tub Time Machine, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke served as the guest hosts of Monday Night Raw. Much like the movie itself, this appearance is largely forgotten by most. However, there was an incredibly awkward hot tub segment that was saved by Mark Henry and Hornswoggle.

Pete Rose - March 22, 2010

Pete Rose had some unfortunate run-ins with Kane back during the height of the Attitude Era (the Big Red Machine put a beating on the Hit King at WrestleMania 14 and 15), and history repeated itself when the notorious baseball player hosted Raw in March 2010. The man was shook when an unmasked Kane confronted him backstage.

Cyndi Lauper - June 18, 2012

Cyndi Lauper, who famously sang “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” has long been connected with WWE, having appeared during the inaugural WrestleMania. So, it only seemed natural for her to show up and have some fun on Raw in June 2012 when she helped put a beating on Heath Slater, who was in the middle of a run in which he got destroyed by all kinds of returning stars.

Kevin Hart - June 16, 2014

Kevin Hart, who was in the middle of his unprecedented rise to the top of the pop culture mountain, appeared on Monday Night Raw in June 2014. He made jokes, he got in the ring, and he hung out with Adam Rose and his Rosebuds. It was a strange time in WWE, and this was one of the wildest moments of that summer.

Ashton Kutcher - May 31, 2010

Ashton Kutcher showing up on Raw is so random, but again, this was WWE in May 2010. It was a weird transitional period where the company was trying anything and willing to throw anything at the wall to see if it stuck.

Mike Tyson - January 11, 2010

A little over a decade after showing up and making WrestleMania 14 one of the biggest nights in wrestling history, Mike Tyson hosted a January 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw where he did everything from intimidate wrestlers to hang out with Hornswoggle. The image of the notorious boxer hanging out backstage surrounded by Fight Night Round 4 posters and games was a sight to see.

Flavor Flav - May 10, 2010

If you thought Flavor Flav giving a weather report on the Salt Lake City news was something, wait until you hear about his May 2010 appearance on Monday Night Raw. During the Public Enemy rapper’s one-night stint on the show, he joked, he rapped, and he worked with R-Truth. Can we get him to come back and team up with Truth again? Please?

Freddie Prinze Jr. - August 17, 2009

Freddie Prinze Jr. showing on Monday Night Raw isn’t the most random thing, considering the I Know What You Did Last Summer and She’s All That star was a longtime writer for WWE’s creative team. The man knows wrestling and knows how to have a laugh at his own expense, as was shown in a segment on an August 2009 episode where Santino Marella approaches Prinze with an idea for a new chapter in his slasher series.

Jon Lovitz - May 24, 2010

Jay Sherman from The Critic would probably say “It stinks!” when talking about WWE’s celebrity host era, but Jon Lovitz, who voiced the character, seemed to have a lot of fun when he hosted Raw in May 2010. Did he look like a fish out of water? Sure,

Jon Heder And Don Johnson - January 18, 2010

Did you know Jon Heder and Don Johnson made a movie together? Well, it’s true. Back in January 2018, the Napoleon Dynamite star and Miami Vice legend shared the screen in When in Rome led by Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. On top of that, the two co-hosted Raw where they formed a short-lived (one-night) tag team.

Larry King - October 8, 2012

Legendary talk show host Larry King died in January 2021, leaving behind memories of some of the best interviews in the history of radio and TV. But did you know that King appeared on an October 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw where he gave fans a new spin on his classic format? Well, it happened, and it involved The Miz getting all heated when pressed by King. Sadly, King didn’t choke him out, but it was fun to watch.

The Three Stooges - April 9, 2012

The Three Stooges, or the versions played by Will Sasso, Sean Hayes, and Chris Diamantopoulos in the 2012 comedy inspired by the classic comedy trio, showed up on Monday Night Raw to promote the Farrelly Brothers movie. The saving grace of the whole appearance was Sasso coming out dressed as Hulk Hogan. It was incredible and you could tell the MadTV star was genuinely having fun out in the ring.

Aaron Paul - March 3, 2014

When making his rounds on the promotional circuit for Need for Speed in March 2014, Breaking Bad alum Aaron Paul showed up and hosted Monday Night Raw. This was one of the final guest host spots, and it’s one that’s pretty forgettable more than a decade later.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. - August 24, 2009

A year and a few months after defeating Big Show at WrestleMania 24, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. showed up on Monday Night Raw in August 2009. During the appearance, Mayweather had a confrontation with Big Show and Chris Jericho (Jeri-Show) and eventually stood in the corner of Mark Henry and MVP in a tag match later that night.

The MacGruber Cast - April 19, 2010

Will Forte and Kristen Wiig popped up on Monday Night Raw in April 2010 to promote MacGruber, but they didn’t come as themselves. Instead, the SNL alum came in character, which resulted in some hilarious run-ins with WWE superstars, several of whom showed up in the satirical action comedy.

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi - March 14, 2011

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, best known for her time on Jersey Shore, had a little WrestleMania run back in 2011, which included a spot on Monday Night Raw. A few weeks later, the TV star would pull off the impossible and get a win at the “Showcase of the Immortals.”

Mark Cuban - December 7, 2009

Mark Cuban knows a thing or two about tense situations, though none of his work on Shark Tank could have prepared him for what happened when he hosted Raw in December 2009. After moderating a segment involving Sheamus and John Cena prior to their TLC match, the Celtic Warrior slammed Cuban through a table propped up in the corner.

Dennis Miller - December 14, 2009

Dennis Miller showed up for the 2009 Slammy Awards on Monday Night Raw and spent the better part of his time making political jokes and providing commentary on WWE superstars with some so-bad-it’s-good Photoshop skills. People chuckled but quickly forgot the segment.

Johnny Knoxville - October 4, 2010

Long before Johnny Knoxville defeated Sami Zayn in one of the most chaotic matches on the WrestleMania 38 card, the stuntman-turned-Hollywood star hosted an October 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw. Taking place days before the release of Jackass 3D, Knoxville pulled out some hilarious pranks, with Ted Dibiase Jr. on the receiving end of the torment.

Ozzy And Sharon Osbourne - November 2, 2009

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were inescapable in the 2000s, so it was only natural for the pair to host an episode of Monday Night Raw in November 2009. Their Raw’s Got Talent segment is without a doubt one of the worst things to ever happen on Raw, which is saying something.

As we continue to enjoy the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks and wait for the arrival of upcoming Star Trek shows, a welcome surprise popped up. A short film featuring a young William Shatner was uploaded to serve as an epilogue of sorts to the feature film Generations. De-aging technology is used to bring the classic Enterprise captain back to his younger years, and I both love and hate it.

I've gone back and forth on using this type of tech in Star Trek ever since Shatner said he'd be ok with AI being used for him after his death. He's an executive producer on this collaboration with OTOY and the Nimoy Estate. I appreciate that all parties involved consented to this ambitious project, but I still have things to say before we see this tech on any Trek show on the 2025 TV schedule.

I Think William Shatner's Return To Star Trek Was Done About As Well As It Could Be Done

As someone deeply critical of all attempts to use de-aging technology these days, I have to tip my hat to Unification for doing it the way I think is best. The brought in prolific Star Wars voice actor Sam Witwer to play the actual body of James T. Kirk (Lawrence Selleck for Spock), then used a combination of prosthetics and digital effects to polish off the look. As for the piece William Shatner contributed, his voice is heard in the short.

While I think there's an argument to be made there's more Sam Witwer than William Shatner in the performance, I think this is the best way to do it. De-aging the actual actor only does so much, as we've seen so many times. You can take the extensive amount of time to make Samuel L. Jackson look like he did in the '90s in Captain Marvel, but he's still going to move around like a man decades older than he is. I think the same would've happened with Shatner, who is 93.

The human body is biologically engineered to spot when something human is not human, which is why we experience that bizarre feeling of "uncanny valley." Therefore, it's always going to be very hard to fool the human eye, but credit where it's due, this looks pretty damn good.

Seeing The Faces of Leonard Nimoy And William Shatner's Characters Together Again Is Emotional And Weird

If this short didn't have the blessing of the estate of Leonard Nimoy, I might call the scene between his Spock and William Shatner's Kirk in bad taste. With that blessing, though, I can't help but smile and think about how nice it is to see these two share a screen again. It's a scene many Star Trek fans would've loved to have seen if the late original Spock actor was still around.

At the same time, a part of me feels wrong in enjoying the scene as much as I do. So much of what made Shatner's Kirk and Nimoy's Spock great for me is the real-life friendship these two shared later in life. If the appeal of this scene is seeing two actors back together and one is no longer living, I can't help but feel just a bit icky about that. It feels like my emotions are deliberately being played with at the expense of a person whose memory meant more to those close to him than it did me.

There is a part of me that thinks maybe it just needs to be normalized more. After all, I see plenty of fan art of these specific iterations of the characters, and I don't have such a strange reaction to it. Perhaps if it continues to happen in media, it'll be easier for me and others who have problems with it to embrace it. For now, though, I'm on the side of saying it feels weird, and maybe a little wrong.

I Still Don't Believe This Is Superior To The Recasting Method

As good as the effects look, and they look really good, it's hard to give the full green light to this kind of technology. Unification is very careful in how it presents the technology, in that it avoids some of the issues that can make it look a bit wonky. For example, no one is physically speaking in the movie, which can sometimes mess with the way the face looks in my opinion. It's also worth mentioning that this is only a little under 11 minutes in length, which is far less time than the average episode of Star Trek.

I don't think attempting to use this likeness for a full episode, series or movie in Star Trek would look great, and it seems the franchise's powers that be felt the same way. They tore off the Band-Aid of recasting major roles a long time ago, and if you were to ask who James T. Kirk is these days, you'd get the answer of either Chris Pine or Paul Wesley.

That's how it should be, in my opinion, and that's evident enough in seeing how limited other franchises like Star Wars have been in trying the other method. Sure, it was cool that Mark Hamill could return as Luke Skywalker for The Mandalorian, but it wasn't without controversy. I always wonder how much more Luke would've been utilized had the franchise just pulled the trigger on recasting him for the role and giving another actor a chance to shine.

All I can say is that I like what the new Captain Kirk actors have done since taking over the role. I'd much sooner debate about the strengths and weaknesses than whether something looks convincing enough, but I'm willing to admit my opinion could change as people continue to develop and work with this technology.

If all this talk made readers eager to revisit Star Trek: Generations for its 30th anniversary, it's available to stream right now with a Paramount+ subscription. Give it a watch or re-watch, as I recently did, and have a greater appreciation for it than I did a while back.

When William Shatner said he'd be willing to allow AI companies to use his likeness for projects, he wasn't kidding. While he kept true to his word about not wanting to change James T. Kirk's death scene in Star Trek: Generations, the actor found a way to return to the franchise that made his career. He's featured in a new short film celebrating the 30th anniversary of Generations, but it took the help of prolific Star Wars actor Sam Witwer to make it happen.

William Shatner has always had a unique relationship with Star Wars, having both trolled the franchise and worked with writers from it on other projects. Now, we have the franchise to thank for a new James T. Kirk performance, though Shatner and the actor responsible's involvement may require some talking out.

William Shatner Returned To Star Trek, But He Had Some Help

It isn't a trailer for an upcoming Trek series, but OTOY's latest short film celebrating the anniversary of Star Trek: Generations is worth a watch. Unification follows William Shatner's Kirk, who is seemingly cloned at the Daystrom Station after he dies in the movie. After that, he encounters a few familiar faces and maybe even makes it to the Kelvin universe to see his old friend Spock. The details are unclear, but check out the video below all the same, and continue for details on how this wild movie was made possible:

William Shatner's voice and a digital recreation of his face can be seen in Unification, but that's not his body, it's Sam Witwer.

Actor Sam Witwer has been a huge part of the Star Wars world for years as he's done voice-acting for several shows, games, and movies. Readers may best know his voice as Darth Maul, but he's also voiced Stormtroopers and many other additional characters. Fans tend to get excited when they hear he's on board for Ahsoka and other projects, and I have to say I'm jazzed to see he could be a part of this Star Trek project.

Will Star Trek Commit To Bringing Characters Back Via De-Aging Technology?

While Star Trek: Picard used de-aging technology for brief scenes, it seems largely expected that when it comes to key franchise characters, Paramount would sooner recast the role. I wouldn't bank on this de-aged CGI James T. Kirk making his way into a real Trek series, considering the role for young Kirk was already given to Paul Wesley.

Wesley has appeared in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a handful of times, and he will also pop up in Season 4. It seems like, for the time being, the franchise has already decided on who will be its James T. Kirk for the official shows and movies.

However, what OTOY did with Sam Witwer and William Shatner is very impressive and a cool way to celebrate Generations on its anniversary.

Those with a Paramount+ subscription can rewatch Star Trek: Generations today. I can't say it's my favorite movie of the bunch, but with the 30th anniversary being so recent, it couldn't hurt to throw it on if anyone is feeling nostalgic.

All Saturday Night Live hosts have appeared "as themselves" in their monologue but things get really fun when they take allow themselves to be the butt of the joke in a sketch and appear as themselves. Not counting some of the jaw-dropping SNL cameos over the years, these are some of our favorite examples of a celebrity going meta at Studio 8H in a sketch from an episode that they headlined.

Brunch (Chris Hemsworth)

At first, in the Season 41 SNL sketch "Brunch," it seems that host Chris Hemsworth is playing a woman named Claire, who happens to be obsessed with the Thor actor until her friends begin to suspect that she is the Australian celebrity himself. They turn out to be correct when he reveals he wanted to make sure he was still one of the most desired Hollywood Chris' and the most desired Hemsworth.

Your Mom Talks To Megan Fox (Megan Fox)

One sketch from Megan Fox's sole hosting gig from SNL Season 35 sees the star of the Transformers movies appear as herself waiting for a friend of hers to get ready for a night out. During that time, she chats with Kristen Wiig as the friend's mother while she does laundry and has some eye-opening life advice to offer the actor.

I'm Just Pete (Pete Davidson)

For his return to Studio 8H as a host, Pete Davidson welcomed the opportunity to poke fun at his post-SNL career and personal life, most notably with a music video that quickly became one of the most popular sketches of Season 49. Set to the tune of the Oscar-nominated song "I'm Just Ken" from Barbie, the comedian channels Ryan Gosling's portrayal of the iconic doll (and dons his hairstyle) for a hilariously self-effacing ballad with blockbuster-level production design.

Little Focker Film Fan (Robert De Niro)

On his third appearance on SNL as a host, Robert De Niro stars in a sketch taking place on the set of 2010's Little Fockers, where meets a young boy named Keith (Bobby Moynihan) who is extremely excited by everything he sees, except for the two-time Academy Award winner. He even ribs De Niro for a few of his career misfires but, of course, goes crazy over receiving a page of the script, meeting a makeup artist, and when Ben Stiller, also playing himself, appears.

Why is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot? (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Everyone in this sketch, stars as themselves, including Beck Bennett, who sets up a game show in an attempt to understand why people find the night's host, Benedict Cumberbatch, attractive. It gives the Doctor Strange actor a chance to be self-effacing (comparing himself to the likes of a hammerhead shark and Sid the Sloth from the Ice Age movies) before his compliments toward Beck finally lead the SNL star to understand the English actor's appeal.

Meet The Family (Christopher Walken)

Everyone has their own Christopher Walken impression and most of the SNL cast, circa Season 33, had the opportunity to demonstrate their own right in front of the Academy Award winner. They play members of the host's family who reunite with him at a restaurant, discuss highlights of his career, and reminisce about their own lives together.

Friends (Matthew Perry)

Then Friends cast member Matthew Perry appears as Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, for what starts a typical parody of the hit sitcom. It evolves into something more meta when Colin Quinn walks in as an overly flamboyant caricature of Chandler Bing, causing the host to unhappily break character and derail the whole sketch.

Ryan's Hometown (Ryan Gosling)

In 2015, first-time SNL host Ryan Gosling appeared as himself in a sketch set at a bar in Ontario, Canada, where he is being interviewed for a GQ profile. The interview is interrupted by the Drive star's childhood bully, Trevor (Kyle Mooney), who challenges him to perform a song from Dreamgirls, dance to Cathy Dennis' "Touch Me," and compare their muscular physiques before admitting that he misses the actor's presence.

United Way (Peyton Manning)

One of the funniest SNL sketches featuring a professional athlete is an SNL Digital Short framed as a United Way ad, featuring Peyton Manning spending the day with a group of children. Quickly, it becomes clear that this fictionalized version of the former Denver Broncos quarterback is the farthest thing from a good role model to the world's youth.

Old Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga)

Lady Gaga proved that she was totally game to make fun of herself when she hosted a 2013 SNL episode, which featured an entire sketch dedicated to mocking some of her most famous radio hits and iconic career highlights. It is set in a future where the world has forgotten about the pop star and her older self, desperate to find a fan, calls up her building's superintendent (Kenan Thompson), who at least can recognize "Empress Beyoncé."

Star Trek Convention (William Shatner)

Emmy winner William Shatner owes his career to the Star Trek franchise but you would think he was not so grateful with the way he treats fans in an SNL sketch from 1986. The Captain Kirk actor appears at a convention, where he urges a group of Trekkies to "get a life" instead of obsessing over the sci-fi TV show that he did "as a lark" back in the 1960s.

Hamm & Bublé (Jon Hamm)

After promoting "Jon Hamm's John Ham" in his first SNL hosting gig, Jon Hamm teamed with Michael Bublé (who was that night's musical guest) to introduce a new restaurant that serves pork and champagne. However, the crooner explains in his musical interstitials that he is being held captive by the Mad Men cast member and forced into helping him with this misguided and pun-fueled idea.

Point Blank (Wayne Gretzky)

The legendary Wayne Gretzky appeared as himself in a number of sketches, and proved to have some surprising comedic timing when he hosted SNL in 1989. One of the funniest moments sees the hockey star appears on a talk show that encourages viewers to call in to ask the guest something but none of the questions have anything to do with him or with hockey and are all people seeking advice for something obscure.

Easter Candy (Michael Keaton)

In 2015, Oscar nominee Michael Keaton appeared as a flamboyant, blonde-haired gentleman showing off the contents of his Easter basket, with help from Kate McKinnon as the seemingly imbalanced Portia. It is not until the very end of the deeply bizarre sketch that we discover the Batman actor has been portraying a highly fictionalized version of himself the whole time.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

NBA legend Michael Jordan plays himself in a few sketches from his sole hosting gig from 1991. One of the most essential highlights sees the Space Jam cast leader join the hosts of Bill Swerski's Super Fans in a cheer for his fellow Chicago Bulls while wearing hula skirts.

Steve Martin Wants More Money (Steve Martin)

When Five-Timers Club member Steve Martin returned to SNL for his then-record-breaking 14th hosting gig, the comedian starred in a sketch set backstage, where he demanded Lorne Michaels a pay raise. However, the producer insists that he go on or he could be replaced with the one person who was closest to matching his record at the time: Alec Baldwin.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

In one of the few SNL sketches starring Charles Barkley as himself with no relation to basketball, he is seen hosting a true crime docuseries. However, instead of covering murders or kidnappings, Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems discusses instances of caucasian people reacting angrily to situations that seem completely blown out of proportion to the Black people involved.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

In Season 20, George Foreman starred in a backstage-set sketch in which one-season SNL cast member Chris Elliott asks the host to read him a bedtime story so he can take a nap in his dressing room. We imagine that, if anyone else demanded such a request from the boxing champ in real life, it might not end well for them.

Elton John And The Royal Wedding (Elton John)

Most of the sketches from host Elton John's 2010 episode see the Grammy winner playing himself. One of the best SNL sketches featuring the musician sees him visiting the Royal Family, who reveal their nasty, conniving true selves to him behind closed doors.

Brian Diaries (Brian Williams)

A non-actor who still nailed it as an SNL host is Brian Williams, who actually portrayed several original characters throughout the show. However, the former NBC Nightly News anchor did play himself in a Digital Short offering an exaggerated account of his daily routine, which includes receiving a motivational message from Bono (also appearing as himself) while meditating.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

LeBron James made his true acting debut hosting SNL before portraying himself in Trainwreck convinced audiences he had talent off the basketball court. He also stars as himself in one sketch in which his attempts to film a PSA are repeatedly interrupted by an obnoxious PA (Jason Sudeikis) who cannot seem to throw the ball at the athlete correctly.

Garth Brooks Backstage With Tracy (Garth Brooks)

During his second hosting gig, Garth Brooks appeared in an SNL sketch taking place backstage at Studio 8H, where cast member Tracy Morgan voices his disparaging opinion of that night's musical guest, Chris Gaines. What the country music star does not disclose to the comedian is the fact that he and the rock singer are actually the same person.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton)

SNL has poked fun at how professional athletes often endorse products on many occasions, such as when John Belushi played himself in an ad for a breakfast cereal that was literally chocolate donuts. In the 1970s, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tried his hand at the topic with a sketch that sees him endorse a cereal that is literally just performance-enhancing drugs.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

When actors/professional wrestlers Mr. T and Hulk Hogan hosted SNL together in the 1980s, they mostly appeared as themselves throughout the show. The most esteemed highlight sees them as guests on a recurring talk show bit hosted by Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas, who goes off script to acknowledge the Hulkster's bouncing pecs when he accidentally laughs in the middle of the segment.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

No one through a knockout punch quite like Marvelous Marvin Hagler in his day, which served as the inspiration for a bit from his SNL hosting gig. He appears in a PSA to help prepare people for if and when they might be forced to oppose him in the ring.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch used to star in a recurring SNL sketch as stereotypical Boston teenagers Pat Sullivan and Denise McKenna. One edition saw them share a ski life with Olympic Gold medalist Jonny Moseley, who acts as a referee when the couple gets into an argument.

Finnish Talk Show (Katy Perry)

Katy Perry's second time on SNL was also her first time serving as a host, during which she starred in a sketch in which the pop star appears on a talk show from Finland. She soon discovers that the host (played by Kristen Wiig) has employed an unusually thorough research team, allowing her to have a clip ready to fun for literally any topic that comes up.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

One of Jon Lovitz's most popular recurring characters on SNL was the habitually dishonest Tommy Flanagan. One sketch sees him run into Chicago Bears running back (and that night's host) Walter Payton who ends up being just as big a liar as he is.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

After suffering an infamous attack which was later dramatized in 2017's I, Tonya, Nancy Kerrigan proved she had a sense of humor about it when she hosted SNL. One sketch sees the figure skater appearing on a talk show with other Olympians who endured much worse injuries than she did but would receive far less favorable treatment.

Tommy Flanagan: Drinking With The Jaggers Cold Open (Jerry Hall)

Tommy Flanagan talks up model Jerry Hall and tries to convince her that he personally knows Mick Jagger. It seems that the facade is compromised when the Batman 1989 cast member's boyfriend, the Rolling Stones frontman himself, appears but he ends up using the pathological liar as an excuse for his absence a previous weekend.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

Like any committed athlete, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumes a high-calorie diet for the purpose of burning off those calories during practice in the pool. However, when he hosted SNL, he starred in a fake ad promising that regular people could indulge in the same diet without exercise, on to show that the results would be disastrous.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

To younger viewers, the 2021 biopic King Richard's depiction of Richard Williams' disciplinary coaching style of his daughters, Venus and Serena, must have been shocking. However, it was common knowledge when 2003 U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick hosted SNL and appeared in a sketch where Williams (Kenan Thompson) proposes to adopt the athlete as his son.

William Shatner finally had the opportunity to see space for himself decades after playing James T. Kirk in Star Trek, and it was way darker and sadder than he imagined. His experience had a profound impact on how he sees the world, even though he didn't witness space until his 90s, and he continues to talk about it to this day. Despite the sadness of observing the pale blue dot, his humor remains intact, as the actor humorously joked about the Earth being flat in a recent interview.

Seeing as space enthusiasts can't ask Shatner if he'll be appearing in any upcoming Trek projects, the actor revealed in an interview on The Other Side Of Midnight a group approached him with a specific inquiry about the Earth and proceeded to deliver his findings to the host. By the way, it should be noted that his tone here is entirely sarcastic:

The oldest person to ever be in space still has jokes, though I doubt it will stop any conspiracy that everyone who has been to space is lying. That said, some might be inclined to believe William Shatner more than others, considering he's not shy about sharing any unpopular opinions about Star Trek. The actor famously said the new era of shows would have creator Gene Roddenberry "turning in his grave," but later clarified to CinemaBlend he was referring to romantic relationships.

Shatner continued to talk about the space conspiracy theorist further, speaking as an actor who is used to hearing strange space ideas. He's also hosting a show on Fox Nation called Aliens Among Us, so I can imagine he gets these types of questions a lot:

While William Shatner isn't in support of any fringe theories on the shape of the Earth, he has embraced other forms of technology that might encourage some to think he'd entertain the idea. Shatner is on the record stating that he is in support of having his likeness recreated with artificial intelligence, assuming he or his living family members are paid for doing so once he is gone.

The actor has spent his days traveling to conventions and embarking on endeavors like space travel rather than watching his old Star Trek episodes with a Paramount+ subscription. In fairness, the actor has gone the bulk of his career without watching the majority of his performances as Captain Kirk, so I don't blame him for not trying to play catch-up now in the later stages of his life. Traveling to space to experience the real thing might be a little more enjoyable than hunkering down for a binge of Trek, but honestly, it'd be a toss-up for me.

Getting to space is difficult, but watching William Shatner on Star Trek is not. Check out episodes of the original series as well as his movies on Paramount+, but don't expect to see episodes about the Earth being flat.

I don't think there's any denying that Star Trek is an American product, but if someone were to claim it a Canadian export, I'd hear them out. A number of the previous and upcoming Star Trek shows have been filmed there, and quite a few Canadian actors have helped put the franchise on the map. Discovery's L'ak actor Elias Toufexis is one of those proud Canadians, and he shared the wild connection he has with another, William Shatner, during a recent conversation.

Toufexis was gracious enough to speak to CinemaBlend to help promote the upcoming digital and physical releases of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 on August 26th and 27th, respectively, and we talked about Canada's contributions to the franchise. Readers are likely well aware that Shatner is perhaps the most famous Canadian actor to star on the show, but Toufexis shared a wild fact that I hadn't previously known:

Those who follow Elias Toufexis on his social media will know he is a huge fan of Star Trek, particularly the original series. Now, it's all much clearer when realizing the actor grew up on the same block as his childhood hero William Shatner, and I'm so on board with the arc in which he eventually found his way to the franchise not once but twice. For those not familiar with his other appearance outside of L'ak, stream Season 1's "Context Is For Kings" with a Paramount+ subscription.

Not only that, but Elias Toufexis holds the honor of playing the first Breen to be unmasked and shown in Star Trek. While the actor was thrilled about the role, there were some difficulties. For example, I'm sure he would've rather L'ak lived rather than died in "Erigah," though he did compliment his death scene. Still, who wouldn't want the chance to appear on the cast of Starfleet Academy, which also takes place in the 32nd century?

Hey, the actor managed to snag two separate roles in Star Trek thus far, so who is to say he wouldn't be able to get a third role on a future series? I'd absolutely be game for it happening, as there's nothing I love more than seeing people who are genuine fans of the franchise work on the show. Who are we to tell the man who grew up on the same block as William Shatner and idolized the actor his entire life that he can't have as many Trek roles as he wants?

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+, and again, look out for Season 5 to come to digital and physical media August 26th and 27th. We're in a bit of a lull with Trek at the moment, so now would be a perfect time to browse the 2024 TV schedule and see what's on tap for the fall season.

It's hard to talk about the Star Trek franchise's legacy without mentioning William Shatner, one of several stars who helped put it on the map. His history with the sci-fi series has always been a complicated one, however. Despite having many opinions about past and future Star Trek shows over the years, Shatner has repeatedly said he's never been part of the viewing audience. After decades of hearing that sentiment, fans are now getting more answers as to why.

Shatner spoke to Entertainment Tonight recently, and in mentioning that he doesn't have a Paramount+ subscription or any other streaming platform with which he could watch Star Trek, he gave a little insight as to why he puts his attention elsewhere. Readers who were previously oblivious to this factoid will be happy to know he laid out exactly how much of the franchise he has watched. As he put it:

Those who watched You Can Call Me Bill, the candid documentary about Shatner's life, shouldn't be surprised by this news. The actor is very busy and appears at many conventions and Star Trek fan screenings, and even trained to be one of the oldest people in space. His experience in space helped further awaken his inner environmentalist as well. Between all that, he doesn't have time to watch Trek, even if he does frequently make appearances tied to it.

Those appearances have frequently landed the actor in hot water with fans, as William Shatner has shared some pretty blunt opinions about the new direction of Star Trek programming. Many reacted when he said franchise creator Gene Roddenberry would be turning in his grave over some of the decisions made in the new shows, which led some to think it was a stab at increased diversity and inclusion in castings.

Shatner later confirmed to CinemaBlend that he was only talking about romantic relationships between crew mates, even though that had happened in prior shows. Of course, as an actor who doesn't watch Star Trek, he wouldn't know that which complicates the situation when he makes bold statements.

Now that he's 93 years old, I can't imagine William Shatner will suddenly make a point to spend his remaining years catching up on Star Trek. He did say a large amount of money would convince him to appear in the franchise again, but given that he's not interested in reshooting Kirk's death in Generations and is fine with A.I. one day replacing him, I'm not sure I see that happening either. As fans, perhaps we should just be happy he helped jump-start a franchise many still enjoy today and be less concerned about if he'll ever get around to watching it.

William Shatner's documentary You Can Call Me Bill is available to watch on-demand wherever readers prefer to buy it. I definitely suggest that any Star Trek fan watch it to better understand the actor behind the character. It'll give a real understanding of the person he is today.

Sometimes, a character and a project come around that impacts the zeitgeist deeply, and when that happens, the role becomes permanently attached to an actor’s legacy. This list includes over 30 actors from some of the greatest movies and TV shows who will forever be remembered for one role. 

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, Harry Potter 

While Daniel Radcliffe’s list of best movies is long and notable – with entries like Swiss Army Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – he will always be known first and foremost as The Boy Who Lived. The actor took on the titular role of Harry Potter when he was 12 years old, and he’s the face of a franchise of movies that have raised countless people. So, while he is beloved for lots of things, nothing will ever be as big and prominent as his role in the Wizarding World.  

Aaron Paul – Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad and its cast truly took the world by storm, and the guys leading the charge, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, became certified legends because of it. It’s hard to separate Paul from Jesse Pinkman, and the impact he made with his fellow ensemble members in this incredible show.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When you play one of the greatest TV characters of all time, obviously, it’ll be the thing you’re most remembered for. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’ll always be known as the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer after playing the empowering and strong titular character for seven seasons in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. 

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man/Tony Stark, Iron Man

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and yes, he’s well known for roles in other films, like Sherlock Holmes. However, when you single-handedly help successfully start a cinematic universe like the one Marvel has and star in nine of those projects, yes, you are going to be known for playing that character forever.

So, when it comes to RDJ’s legacy, his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the thing he’s remembered forever for.  

Elijah Wood – Frodo, Lord of the Rings

Like Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter, so many grew up with Elijah Wood and Lord of the Rings. His portrayal of the hobbit Frodo Baggins was incredibly impactful, and while he has gone on to play a variety of memorable roles, there’s no denying the power of the Rings. 

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia, Star Wars

You can’t talk about the late great Carrie Fisher and her career without mentioning Princess Leia and the Star Wars movies. She inspired a whole generation as her intelligent, stubborn and empowering princess, and the five films she was a part of helped define sci-fi in film. 

Leonard Nimoy – Spock, Star Trek

Live long and prosper, my friend. Forever and always the legendary Leonard Nimoy will be known for originating the role of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in Star Trek. 

Christopher Reeve – Superman, Superman

Christopher Reeve’s legacy is rooted in him playing Superman in four films. Even the documentary that came out about his life in 2024 leans into his time playing Clark Kent, as it’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. 

James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

The Sopranos is considered one of the greatest shows on television, and James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano is a major reason why. The actor won three Emmys for his performance in the series, and his name, face and voice are synonymous with the beloved HBO drama. 

Alicia Silverstone – Cher Horowitz, Clueless

When I think of Alicia Silverstone, I immediately think of Cher, because she is and always will be best known for her iconic performance in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Clueless. 

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley, Alien

Sigourney Weaver changed the sci-fi game when she starred in Alien. Ellen Ripley is a magnificent and strong leading woman in this sci-fi horror flick, which in 1979, was not something we saw very often. 

Jim Parsons – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

“Bazinga!” Will always follow Jim Parsons, and that’s because of his tenure playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The actor has four Emmys for playing the role, he starred in all 280 episodes of the comedy, and his character even inspired a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which came to an end in 2024 after its own seven-season run. 

Kit Harington – Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

The world was introduced to Kit Harington because of Game of Thrones, and he will always be remembered as the heroic Jon Snow. His role in the GOT cast was vital, and over the years, as we watched him battle it out at The Wall and work toward saving Westeros from winter, it was impossible not to fall for him. Now, while Harington has been in numerous other projects since then, it’s impossible not to think of him as this epic fantasy hero first. 

Emma Watson – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

These days, Emma Watson doesn’t act anymore, and she’s killing with her gin company Renais. However, she’ll also always be remembered as a wonderful actress who brought life to the beloved witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. 

The Entire Cast of Friends

Yes, the cast of Friends all went on to have successful careers after the NBC sitcom. However, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are best known as Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Monica, and they always will be, because they’re the ones with a hit TV show. 

Ralph Macchio – Daniel LaRusso, The Karate Kid

After three Karate Kid movies, and six seasons of its highly successful spinoff Cobra Kai, you’d be silly not to think that Ralph Macchio will always be remembered for playing Daniel LaRusso. 

Linda Hamilton – Sarah Connor, The Terminator

Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate. She’s beloved for portraying the protagonist in this sci-fi franchise, and she’s synonymous with this series that she starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Chris Hemsworth – Thor, Thor

While many Marvel actors have become synonymous with their characters, one who really stands out is Chris Hemsworth and Thor. Physically, the Australian actor perfectly embodies the God of Thunder, and throughout his time playing the character he added an unexpected sense of humor to the role – especially post-Thor: Ragnarok – that he’ll be remembered forever for. 

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan, Twilight

Twilight, the debate about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan took over the zeitgeist between 2008-2012. To this day, while she’s gone on to star in incredible films like Spencer and Love Lies Bleeding, the role that made her a household name is one of the parts she’ll always be remembered for. 

Heath Ledger – The Joker, The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger is widely regarded as the best Joker, because of his commanding performance as the legendary Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This movie was also one of his last before his untimely death, and he won a posthumous Oscar for his incredible take on the infamous big bad. 

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven, Stranger Things

Millie Bobby Brown has made quite a few successful films, like the Enola Holmes movies. However, it’s undeniable that the role that will define her career is Eleven in Stranger Things. She was only 12 when she started playing the mysterious super-powered human, and over the course of the show’s five-season run, both she and the ensemble of the Netflix series, have become pop culture icons because of the show. 

William Shatner – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

If you take a look at the four projects listed at the top of William Shatner’s IMDb page, all of them are Star Trek movies where he played Captain Kirk. The man starred in seven films and a long-running TV show as the beloved captain, so of course it’s what he’s best known for. 

Michael J. Fox – Marty McFly, Back to the Future

From Family Ties to Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox and his shows and movies were ‘80s staples. However, there’s no denying that the project he’ll always be remembered for is Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. To this day, the project is considered one of the best ‘80s movies, and Fox is still beloved for playing the charismatic, funny and heroic Marty McFly. 

Reese Witherspoon – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

In the over two decades since Legally Blonde’s release, so many have been inspired to pursue their dreams and wear lots and lots of pink. That’s because Elle Woods truly left an amazing mark on the zeitgeist, and it’s because of Reese Witherspoon’s heartfelt, funny and preppy performance as the incredible lawyer-in-training. 

As Elle Woods would say, “What like it’s hard” to create one of the best characters and movies of the 2000s? 

Jon Hamm – Don Draper, Mad Men

While Jon Hamm is a wicked comedic actor, and he’s starred in a myriad of fun movies, nothing will ever come close to Mad Men. For 92 episodes, Hamm led the Mad Men cast as Don Draper – which he took an Emmy home for in 2015 – and he’ll always be recognized for playing the charismatic creative director of Sterling Cooper.

Judy Garland – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a film that has raised generations of kids since 1939, and it’s still a family classic. So, when you lead a beloved musical like that, as Judy Garland did, and it remains relevant and loved for over eight decades, obviously, the role you’ll always be known for is that one. 

David Tennant – The Doctor, Doctor Who

While everyone who has played the titular timelord on Doctor Who is known for that role specifically, David Tennant is a fan-favorite Doctor, and it’s single-handedly the project he’s best known for. While he’s dabbled in many other critically acclaimed projects, like Good Omens and Broadchurch, he is and always will be the beloved actor who graced our screens as the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors first and foremost. 

Anthony Hopkins – Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it’s in part thanks to Anthony Hopkins' truly terrifying cannibal Hannibal Lecter. In fact, his character became so popular that it inspired three more movies and a TV show. 

Sarah Jessica Parker – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw inspired many women to become writers, and I know she left many of us fantasizing about living out our lives in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker truly slayed the role, and her own sense of style and charismatic personality meshed perfectly with Carrie. Along with playing the writer in the OG series Sex and the City, SJP has also portrayed her in two movies and the series And Just Like That. 

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 

Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, those are all the names Emilia Clarke’s dragon rider went by in Game of Thrones, and she gave an absolutely commanding performance as her. While her ending wasn’t what most wanted, there’s no denying how amazing it was to see Daenerys rise from a woman trying to survive to a powerful leader, and that’s because of how brilliant Clarke was in the role. 

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

He was the face of the original trilogy, and you can’t think about Star Wars without thinking about Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker. While the actor is well-known for other roles, especially in the world of voice acting, his most prominent part has to be this. 

Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Sadly, there aren’t many superhero movies led by women. However, luckily, we do have a few wonderful ones, and that includes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She played the beloved hero with so much grace, poise and strength, and she’ll 100% always be remembered for it. 

Obviously, while all these actors have played other prominent roles in well-known movies and shows, there’s no question that when we consider their legacies, these parts will be the first ones we think about. They’re that iconic, and we have these performers to thank for them. 

Kirk and Spock are among the most famous duos not just in Star Trek, but across all of pop culture. Notably, co-stars Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner shared a similarly strong bond behind the scenes, though they were also rivals for a time, and were eventually estranged at the time of Nimoy's death. The actor's son, TV director Adam Nimoy, touched on the two legends' complex relationship in his latest book, and shared his insight about their bond with CinemaBlend.

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Nimoy about his book The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father, in which he details his personal journey to sobriety as well as his shifting relationship with his fan-favorite father. In the book, Adam Nimoy addresses the surprise he felt learning that his dad and William Shatner became best friends, having been aware of their tension while filming Star Trek, and he noted a similar sense of surprise upon their falling out towards the end of Nimoy's life.

I noted during our interview that Adam also had an up-and-down relationship with his father and asked if the situation with Shatner was just part of the mysterious nature behind Leonard Nimoy's feelings about personal relationships in general. The writer responded:

The world was intrigued when William Shatner skipped Leonard Nimoy's funeral, but to hear it straight from Adam Nimoy's mouth, the reasons for their falling out are not even worth repeating. It gives the impression that their bond suffered a blow that could've been repaired, but there seemingly wasn't the time to do so. Adam Nimoy himself attested to going long stretches of time without speaking to his father, but also said they always found a way to reconnect eventually.

While the friendship was finite, Nimoy also told CinemaBlend that he was happy that the TV icons were able to share a bond, however non-permanent. At the root of any tension they had, both shared a lot more in common than some Star Trek fans may even realize, which he talked about below:

While Leonard Nimoy had maintained sobriety throughout his friendship and falling out with William Shatner, Adam Nimoy writes in The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father that his father struggled to complete the 12-Step Program in sobriety. Those who read the book will see from his son's perspective that the Star Trek actor struggled all around to make amends with people, which led to their complicated relationship.

Of course, take a look at any project they're together on, many of which are available with a Paramount+ subscription, and the tension won't be evident. Kirk and Spock appear as though they're the closest of friends or at least as close as Spock's Vulcan personality would allow Kirk to get. As Nimoy noted, nothing between them was ever so inflammatory that it impacted the show, and they made some magic together:

I should note that while Adam Nimoy only briefly touches on William Shatner's relationship with Leonard Nimoy in its pages, The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father still paints a picture of what it was like to be the child of one of Star Trek's greatest characters, which can be theoretically extrapolated to include Shatner. I think many might guess it isn't always easy, but Nimoy talks about some of the specific struggles in a way that readers probably wouldn't understand otherwise.

It's a great read for those waiting for more upcoming Star Trek shows to arrive. Strange New Worlds actor Ethan Peck praised the book, once telling CinemaBlend he needed to understand Leonard Nimoy to embody Spock. As a fan, I felt like I walked away with a better understanding of the actor while also understanding the struggles of picking up the pieces after dealing with addiction.

It's the latest project for Adam Nimoy, who has chronicled his father's legacy in the past with critical acclaim. Fans might've seen his documentary For The Love Of Spock, which dove into the role that Leonard Nimoy was most celebrated for. I would imagine the book will find the same acclaim, thanks to an honest and unflinching portrayal of overcoming addiction and working through difficult relationships with loved ones.

The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father is available in stores now. Those looking to see more of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek roles can always check out Paramount+, and definitely should with the current lull in programming.

It’s a sad reality that every so often, the filmmaking community loses one of its own and, this past week, it lost an absolute giant within the industry. Roger Corman – the acclaimed director and producer – passed away at the tender age of 98. The show business legend was highly regarded for his work within the independent film space and for being instrumental in cultivating the careers of some of cinema’s greatest directors. Admirers have since taken to social media to send well wishes and honor the late Corman. A plethora of big names are doing that as well, including William Shatner and John Carpenter.

William Shatner has a lengthy filmography filled with plenty of titles not related to Star Trek. One of those entries is the 1962 drama The Intruder, which was produced and directed by Roger Corman, who died on Thursday at his Santa Monica home per THR. Shatner referenced his collaboration with the late Corman while sharing a sweet tribute to him on X (formerly known as Twitter):

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1926, the late filmmaker began his career in the mailroom at 20th Century Fox. After dabbling in on-stage work and screenwriting, he eventually produced his first movie, 1954’s Monster from the Ocean Floor and followed that up with the 1955 thriller The Fast and the Furious. (The title of the latter would be licensed off for the contemporary FF film series decades later.) The Highway Dragnet scribe would eventually move into theatrical distribution, through which he would open the floodgates for movies from acclaimed foreign directors to reach the states. While reflecting on his work, John Carpenter – whose films are revered – discussed on X just how the producer impacted him:

What many tend to remember the Filmgroup co-founder for is the way in which he invested in directors. Jonathan Demme, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese are just a few of the esteemed individuals who benefited from his generosity. Ron Howard is another person who owes a portion of his career to the late auteur. The Apollo 13 helmer also used X as his forum to reflect on his relationship with his former colleague:

Famously known as the king of the b-movie, Corman, who also acted in movies, directed 55 films between the 1950s and the 2000s. He helmed science fiction and horror fare like The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and It Conquered the World (1956) as well as dramas like I Mobster (1959) and The Wild Angels (1966). Corman also had a few westerns to his name, including Five Guns West (1955) and The Oklahoma Woman (1956). He also carved out a niche for himself by adapting Edgar Alan Poe’s work. Robert Rodriguez, who’s directed great films himself, shared via X what he learned from Corman:

Few would deny the sheer impact that Roger Corman had on the medium that is film. The moviemaking community as a whole owes him a great deal of gratitude for the doors that he opened, and the mark he leaves on Hollywood is indelible. It’s certainly sad that he’s no longer with us but, through his work, and the memories that these stars and more have shared, he’ll surely never be forgotten. And we here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to Corman’s family, friends and loved ones during this time.

William Shatner turned 93 on March 22, and as what may be seen as his gift to fans, a documentary about his life is rolling out to theaters nationwide. You Can Call Me Bill tackles the actor's thoughts on his upbringing, life philosophy, and, yes, Star Trek. The actor even laments how Kirk's death played out in Star Trek: Generations, so CinemaBlend wanted to know if he could change it if he had the chance. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to screen and talk to William Shatner about You Can Call Me Bill, and we talked about his scene in the documentary about Kirk's death in Star Trek: Generations, currently streaming with a Max subscription. I noted that studios had de-aged actors like Harrison Ford and made changes to films in the past and that there could be an opportunity for him to reshoot the scene with more wonder and amazement than he thought he gave the first time around. I asked if he would take the opportunity to reshoot it if it was given, and the actor gave a blunt response: 

At the end there, William Shatner acknowledged that while he wished he could reshoot his scene in Star Trek: Generations, the actual task of doing so is more or less a fantasy than a realistic ask. Additionally, he's made peace with the moment and feels that enough fans have a grasp on his character to understand the awe and discovery he saw in his final moments, even if the scene didn't capture that as effectively as it could've.  

Even if William Shatner was willing, there'd still be a question of whether or not he'd be allowed in to do such a thing with Star Trek. The actor has shared some polarizing takes about the modern state of the franchise, though he explained the comment about creator Gene Roddenberry "turning in his grave" to CinemaBlend. Additionally, the franchise seems more willing to recast the roles of past actors entirely rather than using de-aging technology. 

You Can Call Me Bill is loaded with great stories about William Shatner and one that really dives deep into some of his real-life fears and thoughts on his life. Shatner told CinemaBlend he agreed to do the documentary as a way of leaving a legacy for his family, and as such, it forced him to be "Completely honest" while doing it. Fans will surely appreciate watching and maybe even walk away with a different perspective on the actor than they had previously. 

Those interested in seeing You Can Call Me Bill can look up showtimes and get tickets on Fandango. For those unable to find a screening near them, there are always plenty of classic William Shatner episodes to check out on Star Trek, assuming you have a Paramount+ subscription to stream it. 

William Shatner is one of the first to admit he doesn't watch Star Trek, but that doesn't stop him from having opinions about it. In 2022, he invoked Gene Roddenberry's name at San Diego Comic-Con and said the creator would be "turning in his grave" due to the latest Trek content. The comments drew a lot of responses from fans and stars alike, to say the least. Now, after speaking with Shatner, CinemaBlend has received some clarification from the star on his headline-grabbing sentiments. 

I had the honor of interviewing William Shatner about his upcoming documentary, You Can Call Me Bill, which heavily focuses on the actor's personal life, philosophies and even his thoughts on Star Trek. With that, it seemed as good of an opportunity as any to ask him about the polarizing Trek statement he made a couple of years back as well as how people responded to it. I specifically mentioned to him that the comments "ruffled feathers" and prompted responses from stars like Strange New Worlds' Melissa Navia and fans. That led Shatner to talk about what he meant specifically when he made that comment: 

On the whole, William Shatner stood by his comments, though his response was a lot more specific than the statement he originally gave. It seems he was referring to the fact that Discovery, Strange New Worlds and upcoming Trek shows allow for intimate romances amongst the crew. That's an element Gene Roddenberry was very much against, according to the actor, and he apparently wouldn't be happy about it. 

I can't speak for all Star Trek fans, but I personally had to admit I thought his original comment was in reference to the increased inclusion and diversity. Those are elements that opponents of the new shows hammer on frequently. Of course, the 92-year-old Captain Kirk actor likely wouldn't be privy to that as much, considering he doesn't watch the franchise at all. I'm also guessing he wouldn't be aware that intimate relationships have happened amongst crew within Trek shows since The Next Generation. I ultimately thanked the star for clarifying and suggested that perhaps the backlash was due to fans not specifically knowing what he meant, and the actor had this to say: 

It's a candid response from William Shatner, but one that I would expect after watching You Can Call Me Bill. The documentary, produced by the fan investor-driven company Legion M, reveals the actor's most honest takes about his life, career and legacy. Shatner told CinemaBlend he finally agreed to do a documentary on his life in order to leave behind a legacy for his family to look back on. 

Trek fans who have admired the actor from the beginning or have strayed away from him in recent years due to his comments will appreciate the film. As a whole, it's an intimate and cerebral look at the the actor's thought process. I believe even his harshest critics will walk away with a better understanding of his perspective and viewpoints after watching, even if they still don't agree with everything he says. 

The doc also touches on other big moments in his life, including his space flight on the Blue Origin. He said at the time that the experience was far darker than he expected, and that certainly shows in the new movie. It's truly possible that viewers might walk away feeling that the star is a bit misunderstood in some ways. And, in fairness, that does seem to have been the case when it comes to his Gene Roddenberry comments.

You Can Call Me Bill debuts in select theaters on Friday, March 22nd, which is William Shatner's 93rd birthday. Be sure to check out where you can find the movie closest to you using Fandango and, as always, check out the actor's best work in Star Trek by using a Paramount+ subscription. 

Since its inception in 1966, Star Trek has cultivated a fanbase that is as passionate as it is vast. This dedicated group of aficionados was the force behind James T. Kirk actor William Shatner becoming a legend in the world of fan conventions. However, Shatner confesses that this intense fan devotion initially made him apprehensive. He was venturing into new and unknown territory when he attended his first fan convention. With that, he's opened up about the "biggest fear" he experienced during his early days of participating in these fan conventions decades ago.

At 92 years old, the legendary actor finally agreed to participate in a documentary focusing on his personal journey and distinguished career. Alexandre O. Philippe, the mind behind documentaries like Doc of the Dead and The People vs. George Lucas, directed the project. While speaking with EW, William Shatner offered some insights into the production, and the actor was also prompted to recount his initial reservations about attending a fan convention in the 1970s. He explained:

It's funny to hear the Boston Legal veteran open up about his fears, which is intriguing, especially given his openness about his feelings towards the series. Over the years, his relationship with the franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs. He's regrets over directing Star Trek V and feuds with fellow franchise alum like Wil Wheaton and George Takei, who he's clapped back at on multiple occasions. There's also the shade he's thrown at the newer Trek series. In short, his journey with the franchise has been anything but smooth, and it would seem, it started rocky from the very beginning.

William Shatner’s documentary, You Can Call Me Bill, offers an in-depth look into his remarkable life, providing a candid glimpse behind the personas he's portrayed throughout his career. According to CinemaBlend's own Mick Joest, who has had the opportunity to watch the film, Shatner presents himself with openness and eloquence, making the doc a compelling exploration of the actor's inner world. Joest highlights how the film delves into the Rescue 911 host’s early life and principles, shedding light on his concerns about losing his talent after Trek and his surprising admission that he has never watched the iconic series that made him a star. 

While he was initially hesitant to attend fan conventions, it seems the veteran star now has an easier time engaging with the swarms of people that come out to see him. The continued love for the star is a testament to not only the popularity of Gene  Roddenberry's acclaimed show but also the leading man's performance perfect performance as Captain Kirk.

You Can Call Me Bill is set for its premiere in select theaters starting Thursday, March 21st. However, a special event featuring a screening and a Q&A session will be available in more than 300 theaters on Wednesday, March 20th. Fans eager to catch this exclusive showing can purchase their tickets through Fandango.You can also revisit some of the star's most iconic roles by getting a Paramount+ subscription. Catch him on Star Trek or see his classic appearances on The Twilight Zone.

For decades, William Shatner has been in the spotlight and at the head of many successful projects. The Star Trek actor has never been shy about voicing his opinion, whether it's about his past work or artificial intelligence. Despite his openness, he made it into his 90s without crafting any biographical projects. That's changed with the upcoming documentary You Can Call Me Bill, in which the actor talks about his career, his life philosophy, and his fears in a very candid way. 

The esteemed entertainer was kind enough to talk to me about his documentary, which will debut in theaters beginning Thursday, March 21st, via the fan-owned entertainment company Legion M. Through the efforts of many investors, the studio convinced an initially hesitant William Shatner to go on camera to share stories about his upbringing, his deepest worries, and other topics that he hasn't touched on before. You Can Call Me Bill isn't a project he would've agreed to in the past, but he explained to CinemaBlend why he pulled the trigger on it now: 

Shatner, who will turn 93 the day after the movie is released, is motivated by the desire to leave behind a legacy for his family before he's unable to do so. Family, as well as fans, will be able to watch You Can Call Me Bill for details and insights into his childhood, his career before and after Star Trek, and some more abstract thoughts like what it means to "Go boldly."

As someone who had the honor of seeing You Can Call Me Bill in advance, I was delighted and thrilled to see just how candid the already well-spoken William Shatner is in the documentary. It's a riveting look at the actor that gives the viewer an understanding of what goes on inside his mind. Learning about his upbringing and values certainly helped me understand his thoughts about potentially losing his talent post-Star Trek and why he's never watched his beloved sci-fi show after all these years.

I don't expect You Can Call Me Bill will inspire William Shatner to suddenly take a role in any of the upcoming Star Trek series, but it might soften the hearts of anyone who had a critical reaction to his viewpoints about the franchise, and/or his past feuds with other actors. Not everyone agrees with the actor's stance, but through learning about his life, career, and deepest thoughts, one will get a better understanding of the person he is. 

You Can Call Me Bill will debut in select theaters beginning on Thursday, March 21st, but a special screening and Q&A will come to over 300 theaters on Wednesday, March 20th. Those interested can purchase tickets on Fandango and will automatically be directed to the closest theater showing the movie. 

Readers will have to check their local theaters to see which of them will screen You Can Call Me Bill. As for where to find William Shatner, fire up a Paramount+ subscription to catch him in Star Trek or his classic appearances in The Twilight Zone. 

William Shatner may be known for Star Trek (and still get questions about reprising Captain Kirk), but he also has quite an impressive TV resume. One of his other most iconic gigs is the ABC's Boston Legal, a famous spinoff of the The Practice. It was on that show that he played the role of Denny Crane, a part he originated on the parent series. Although the legal went on to be a huge hit, Shatner was actually quite worried that it wouldn’t take off. He even pondered whether he'd lost his "talent."

Boston Legal had a relatively successful five-season run and was nominated for multiple Emmys, winning several. Shatner even won for Outstanding Supporting Actor – Drama Series in 2005. Like a lot of actors, though, he was unsure if viewers would take to the series when it first started. At that point in his career, he had done Star Trek, T.J. Hooker, How the West Was Won, Barbary Coast and more. Shatner opened up to The Los Angeles Times about just how worried he was after landing the role of Crane:

Of course, there was ultimately no need for the now-92-year-old star to worry. He was able to bring a lot of zest to the lawyer and didn’t seem to make any mistakes while playing him as he feared. I'd imagine that it's probably nerve-wracking starting a new series and not knowing how you’re going to play a character or how long the show might run. And, now, it's hard to imagine Boston Legal being successful without William Shatner as Denny Crane. He also said:

It is pretty remarkable that after all of the worrying that worrying he did, it turned out to have been for nothing. Though I suppose, to be fair, very few people have a true gauge for whether something is going to work. The show could've very well been a flop if something had been changed from a creative standpoint. Thankfully, the show had an A+ ensemble cast that also included James Spader, Julie Bowen, Constance Zimmer, John Larroquette, Taraji P. Henson and more. 

It's been years since William Shatner appeared on The Twilight Zone early in his career, and he's come a long way since then. Today, he's still hitting the jackpot with both film and TV projects, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Whether it’s hosting a TV series like Stars on Mars or booking speaking engagements, he's crushing it. He event lent his voice to Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution, which dropped earlier this year on the 2024 TV schedule. 

Considering the continued popularity of Boston Legal (which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription), one might wonder whether a revival could happen. It's hard to say, but I'm sure fans would love it. Regardless of whether that happens though, I'm just pleased that William Shatner's fears didn't come to pass and the public ended up getting a great show.

As fans wait to see Star Trek: Discovery's final season, the franchise devotees are sadly saying goodbye to one of its most-beloved actors. Kenneth "Ken" Mitchell, who played a handful of roles throughout the series' run (both alien and human), passed away at the age of 49 on Saturday following a long battle with ALS. The actor's death sparked a myriad of reactions across the community, ranging from big stars like William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes to various fans who met him at conventions. 

News of Ken Mitchell's passing arrived via his X account and on Instagram, and tributes began to flow in almost immediately. Even William Shatner had nothing but kind words to share about the late actor: 

Jonathan Frakes, who directed episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and was one of the first to say its cancellation sucked, also had kind words for the late Ken Mitchell. He spoke out on Instagram among the scores of comments for the actor, with a brief but thoughtful comment: 

Star Trek: Voyager actor Garrett Wang, who played frequently done dirty character Harry Kim, was also in the comments. He also shared a short message that fans far and wide can appreciate:

Ken Mitchell played a handful of characters across the run of Star Trek: Discovery. The Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik and would later return to play the human Aurellio. He also provided some voice work for the first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Fans around the world are likely revisiting his work with a Paramount+ subscription, as people like @Tyranicus talked about what he meant to the community:

As fans and stars donate to the Go Fund Me supporting his wife and family, questions are being asked about whether or not he is going to be a part of upcoming Trek shows. As of writing, there's nothing official about an appearance in the final season of Discovery, but the actor did not appear in Season 4. It would be great to see him in the final season, which apparently has a different vibe than previous seasons. 

As someone who saw Kenneth Mitchell in person at Star Trek: Mission Chicago, I can add my voice to the many around the Internet, speaking to his positive nature and glowing personality. @Klowenberg confirmed the various stories I heard throughout the convention, which claimed that he was as nice in person as he was talented: 

As fans gear up for the final season of Star Trek: Discovery by watching the latest trailer, I'm sure much more will be said about Ken Mitchell and the legacy he's left behind. Even if he isn't a part of the season, I would be shocked if the Paramount+ series doesn't honor him in some way, given its track record of showing empathy and care. 

We here at CinemaBlend wish the best to the family and friends of Ken Mitchell as we continue to read more and more stories about his life both inside and outside of Star Trek. Now, would be the perfect time to revisit his past roles, and I'd highly recommend honoring him by checking out his work as Aurellio on Season 3 of Discovery. 

William Shatner has another project on the way, and while it's not explicitly tied to Star Trek, there is talk of "boldly going." Or rather, "going boldly," as the longtime actor released a trailer for his upcoming documentary and waxed poetic on his thoughts on what the oft-repeated phrase in the franchise he's most known for meant to him. 

Shatner spoke at length about going boldly in the first trailer for his documentary William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill. The movie, funded by 1,200 fans via Legion M's "fan-first financing" initiative, will chronicle the actor's long career, detailing his career and accomplishments in Hollywood. While the trailer showcased various moments in his career, William Shatner spoke about what it means to "go boldly" from his perspective: 

I'm not sure it's a definition explanation you'd hear in an upcoming Star Trek project, but that tracks considering William Shatner never actually watched Star Trek. This isn't to say he hasn't absorbed some of the ideology from his time working in it, as I think his take on the phrase works all the same and is undoubtedly inspiring given the long life he's lived and all he has accomplished in that time. 

While his work as James T. Kirk may be one of the major highlights of his career, there's no shortage of memorable projects the actor has been a part of. Check out some of those in the trailer for William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill below: 

Outside of the possibility that he could be brought back to Star Trek via artificial intelligence, it would appear this is the closest we get to seeing him back in the franchise. Strange New Worlds re-introduced Kirk with a recasting featuring Paul Wesley in the role, and he's expressed interest in continuing to play the character in future shows.  

As far as William Shatner is concerned, he seems content to stay away from the franchise and pursue other endeavors. The actor even confessed last year that playing Captain Kirk wasn't the most meaningful role in his career, so maybe watching this documentary will shed more light on the roles that meant the most to him. 

With a long career spanning several decades, there are a lot of interesting projects for this documentary to choose from. Personally, I'd love to hear more about his time as a guest on The Big Bang Theory, as well as his iconic episode from the classic version of The Twilight Zone. William Shatner gives two wildly different performances in that, but both are equally iconic in my eyes. 

William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill will be released in theaters on March 22nd. Get hype for the documentary by checking out his previous work on Star Trek with a Paramount+ subscription, and remember why this actor is still celebrated by many well into his old age. 

The use of Artificial Intelligence in Hollywood is a hot-button issue and was a key sticking point between studios and creatives, which ultimately led to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Even after the strikes ended, debates have continued surrounding what is appropriate when it comes to taking an actor's image and likeness and bringing it new life with the use of A.I. (Such as Dudesy's faux George Carlin special.) It seems everyone has different opinions on the matter, and William Shatner is one of the latest to share his thoughts, particularly on whether he'd be down for Star Trek and other projects recreating him using A.I. 

Shatner recently spoke with Comicbook.com ahead of his upcoming appearance at Orlando's MegaCon, and was asked about the possibility of his James T. Kirk one day being brought back to life, as it were, via A.I. Never one to shy away from hard questions, the actor gave his honest take on the situation, and how he'd respond to it depending on the situation: 

William Shatner isn't so okay with allowing A.I. to take over his character or his own persona if he's still alive, which is understandable. But if he's no longer around to pass judgment, he'll leave it to his family to decide. If a fair price is determined, apparently, he's giving the green light to allow his likeness to be used for Captain Kirk.

While franchises like Star Wars have used deep fake and A.I. technology to de-age and bring back iconic actors like Peter Cushing as audiences once saw them using CGI, it's not a route that Star Trek has ventured down. Outside of a brief scene in which actor John De Lancie appeared as his younger self in Star Trek: Picard Season 2, the franchise has leaned heavily on recasting legacy characters instead. 

This includes Shatner's Kirk, who is now played in the Prime timeline by actor Paul Wesley. With Wesley very much interested in appearing outside of Strange New Worlds as the character, it doesn't appear an A.I. Kirk will be needed for upcoming Trek shows anytime soon.  

Decisions can always change over time, of course, so at least William Shatner has submitted his thoughts on the matter on public record in the event that someone does wish to use his image and likeness decades from now. After all, Holodecks in Star Trek are presumably using A.I. to recreate the image and likeness of everything from regular people to famous figures. Is it so far-fetched to believe a franchise that champions this technology won't use it? 

Star Trek doesn't have any franchise shows streaming new seasons at the moment, but fans can catch up on everything that's released as of late with a Paramount+ subscription. There are plenty of non-A.I. performances of William Shatner as James T. Kirk available to stream right now and will be for the foreseeable future. 

William Shatner is one of the people largely responsible for the success of Star Trek, but his relationship with the franchise has become complicated over the past few decades. The actor hasn't held back in making polarizing comments about the modern direction of the franchise, and he wasn't holding back when pointing the finger at why his Captain Kirk may never return to the franchise. In a series of posts, Shatner took aim at Paramount+ and used it as evidence there's some potential grudge against keeping him involved.

This whole ordeal started on X (formerly Twitter) when a fan asked Shatner if fans will ever see Captain Kirk again after seeing the actor's response to Patrick Stewart getting another potential Picard movie. Instead of, I dunno, mentioning that Captain Kirk died in Star Trek: Generations (meaning bringing him back to life as an older gentleman could be difficult), Shatner said the following:

As seen above, William Shatner shared a photo of a picture of several Star Trek characters and most of the major Starfleet captains of the franchise. Shatner's Kirk is not on the poster, however, and the only representation from the original series is Leonard Nimoy's Spock. In the actor's opinion, this seems like evidence enough that he won't appear in any other upcoming Trek shows. 

The actor continued on, noting that it's not the only time he's been snubbed by Paramount+ or its advertising. As for why that may be, William Shatner shared his own theory on why it continues to happen on the streamer:

William Shatner's relationship with Star Trek has been complicated over the years. The actor garnered attention when he remarked decisions made in the modern shows would make creator Gene Roddenberry turn in his grave. There have also been stories of past interactions he had with actors like Wil Wheaton, which showed the fandom another side of the actor than they'd maybe expected. 

As for how William Shatner feels about being left out of the more recent years of Star Trek -- to the point he's not even in the advertising -- he claims it's not affecting him.

In the third post referencing the situation, Shatner stated that his legacy as Captain Kirk is set in stone, and trying to remove him by "erasing the past" isn't going to work:

While William Shatner's work in the original Star Trek is still available with a Paramount+ subscription, the franchise has introduced a new James T. Kirk in Strange New Worlds. Paul Wesley is now two seasons in the role and is open to carrying on the character's legacy outside of Strange New Worlds. 

The string of comments caused a wide variety of responses from the online fandom, both in support and against. It seems William Shatner wasn't interested in continuing the narrative, however.

It is worth mentioning there have been claims over the years that 92-year-old William Shatner is not the person tweeting from his account, though there is no official confirmation of this theory, nor is there an explanation about who or why it could be possible. In any case, it's caused quite a stir over on social media, and I'm sure there will be many arguments about what the actor's legacy in the franchise should be longterm.

As mentioned, Star Trek's original episodes are available on Paramount+. As for William Shatner, he's always worth keeping tabs on via social media as he might just be one of the most active senior actors in the business, giving Dick Van Dyke a run for his money.

Even if he won't return to the franchise, I still think the odds are solid when it comes to him appearing in other projects before too long. 

The original The Twilight Zone has had one of the most enduring legacies in entertainment. Though it only ran for five seasons (156 episodes, some of which are among the best TV shows ever), its influence and reach are remarkable. Three further series have been created over the years, including Jordan Peele’s short-lived reboot, and one ill-fated movie. 

Its influence has also been felt in the huge number of stars appearing on the show early in their careers. Some were established actors who found great fame later, and some were just starting. Here is a quick list of actors who found huge fame after appearing on The Twilight Zone.

William Shatner

Star Trek legend William Shatner appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone before landing his gig as captain of the Enterprise. His first episode, "Nick of Time," came in Season 2, but his most remembered is "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in Season 5. Both are considered among the best episodes of the show. 

Charles Bronson

Future action movie legend Charles Bronson took the slow road to fame. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s he, like so many actors, grabbed gigs wherever he could on film and TV. One included a spot on an episode in Season 3 called "Two." In the episode, Bronson plays one of the last two people on earth who finds love with the only other one. 

Carol Burnett

The Season 3 episode "Cavender Is Coming" is not a well-thought-of episode of the show, but it is notable for starring a true legend. Carol Burnett, in a very early role for her, plays a down-on-her-luck woman who is helped by an angel to get her out of her doldrums. While it does provide Burnett with an opportunity to show off her comedic chops, in the end, comedy doesn't really work in The Twilight Zone. 

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds appeared on one episode of The Twilight Zone very early in his career, playing a satirized version of Marlon Brando in an episode in Season 4 called "The Bard." The episode focuses on William Shakespeare, who arrives in the present day to help write a TV show but is horrified by the Reynolds' character's acting style.  

Dennis Hopper

Watching the Season 4 episode "He's Alive" is a wild experience in the present day. There is no other episode in the series that is so prescient today. The episode stars Dennis Hopper as a Neo-Nazi in America who has a run-in with Hitler himself. It proves just how edgy the show was, especially for its day. 

Cloris Leachman

Season 3's "It's A Good Life" is one of the most enduring episodes of the whole series. It stars Cloris Leachman as the mother of a boy with the devastating power of conjuring whatever he wants who often uses it for ill. 

Donald Pleasence

Donald Pleasence was most famous in the mid '60s through '70s, most notably for his role in The Great Escape and for his oft-forgotten turn as James Bond's #1 enemy, Blofeld in You Only Live Twice. But, in the '70s and '80s, he was most famous, of course, for his role as Dr. Loomis in the Halloween franchise. Before those roles, he starred in the Season 3 episode "The Changing of the Guard."

Robert Redford

Robert Redford is one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but like many actors, he got his start in television. In addition to a lot of credits in the early '60s on other big shows, Redford starred in one episode of The Twilight Zone in 1962. The episode, "Nothing in the Dark," aired during Season 3. 

Sally Kellerman

In truly a "blink or you'll miss her" moment, Sally Kellerman appeared in the episode "Miniature" in The Twilight Zone's fourth season. In an uncredited role, the Back to School star plays an office worker who is seen just at the very beginning. Interestingly, her M*A*S*H co-star Robert Duvall also appears in the episode.  

Burgess Meredith

For a generation of movie fans, Burgess Meredith will always be Mick from Rocky, but the actor had an accomplished career outside of that series, including starring in four different episodes of The Twilight Zone. His first is in one of the most beloved episodes of the whole series, "Time Enough At Last" in the first season. Later he starred in "Mr. Dingle, the Strong" and "The Obsolete Man" in Season 2, and "Printer's Devil" in Season 4.

Don Rickles

Don Rickles is best known for his no-holds-barred insult comedy. A true legend of Hollywood. He also strung together quite the acting resume when he wasn't making fun of his peers. That career included one episode of The Twilight Zone in Season 2, "Mr. Dingle, the Strong," alongside Burgess Meredith. 

Ron Howard

It's hard to imagine there was ever a time that Ron Howard wasn't famous. He first found fame when he was just six years old on The Andy Griffin Show, but even before that, he appeared on a Season 1 episode of The Twilight Zone called "Walking Distance." 

Robert Duvall

Before making one of the most impressive movie debuts ever as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird, Robert Duvall appeared on a handful of TV shows. One, of course, was The Twilight Zone, in an episode called "Minature," in Season 4. 

Ann Jillian had a long career in Hollywood before she retired in 2000 to devote herself to raising her son. Her career started in the early '60s when she was a kid. In Season 4 of The Twilight Zone, she starred as an orphan who refused to speak, or so thought the aunt and uncle raising her. It's a classic, creepy episode called simply "Mute."

George Takei

Star Trek legend George Takei is best known as the senior helmsman of the Enterprise, but years before that, he starred in the Season 5 episode "The Encounter." In it, Takei's character and his neighbor end up in a very unfortunate, but seemingly inevitable, situation that only the show can provide. 

John Astin

It was a different show where John Astin was "creepy and kooky," when he starred as Gomez Addams in the original Addams' Family. A couple of years before that though, he starred in a Season 2 episode called "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim." The show co-starred the great Montgomery Clift, as well. 

Buddy Ebsen

Buddy Ebsen had a very interesting career. He was famously cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard Of Oz but had to leave the production due to a serious medical reaction to the silver paint for the costume that landed him in the hospital (the production also used asbestos for snow). He then left for World War II and when he returned to Hollywood after, didn't find a ton of success. He starred in a Season 2 episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Prime Mover" in 1961, just before landing the role he would become world famous for, Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. 

Elizabeth Montgomery

The first episode of Season 3, "Two," stars Charles Bronson as one of the two, and Elizabeth Montgomery as the other. Her star had just begun to rise as she was nominated for an Emmy around the same time for a one-episode turn in The Untouchables, but it was in 1964 when she landed the role of the one and only Samantha on Bewitched that made her part of television history.  

Lee Marvin

Tough guy Lee Marvin was already starting to make a name for himself when he appeared in two episodes ("The Grave" in Season 2 and "Steel" in Season 5). Marvin was still a few years away from the superstardom he found in the late '60s with movies like The Dirty Dozen, Cat Ballou, and Point Blank. 

Leonard Nimoy

Before Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone as a soldier on a Pacific island in World War II. The episode, "A Quality of Mercy," aired in December of 1961, in the show's third season. Nimoy would continue to guest spot on TV shows for another five years before landing his iconic role as Spock. 

Dean Stockwell

When Dean Stockwell died in 2021, he had been in show business for more than 70 years. It's an astonishing feat, and as you'd expect, he had a whole slew of acting roles, including the Season 3 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "A Quality of Mercy," alongside Leonard Nimoy. 

Jack Klugman

Future Odd Couple star Jack Klugman was as close as an actor could be to being a regular on The Twilight Zone. In total, he appeared in four episodes of the show. First, he starred in "A Passage for Trumpet" in Season 1, followed by "A Game of Pool" in Season 2, alongside the great Jonathan Winters. In Season 4, Klugman appeared in "Death Ship," and finally, in the Season 5 episode, "In Praise of Pip."

Julie Newmar

Before finding her greatest fame as Catwoman in the first two seasons of the '60s Batman series, Julie Newmar starred in the Season 4 episode, "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville." In the episode, Newmar doesn't have cat ears, but she does have devil horns, as she plays Satan trying to get the protagonist played by Albert Salmi (who played Danny's father in Caddyshack) to make a deal with the devil. 

James Coburn

By 1963, when James Coburn starred in the Season 5 episode "The Old Man In The Cave," the actor was already well on his way to fame. Earlier that year he had starred in the legendary World War II movie The Great Escape, and by the next year, he was one of Hollywood's most famous stars. 

Ted Knight

Judge Smails in Caddyshack and Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show will forever be the roles that the great Ted Knight will be remembered for. It took him quite a while to find big fame in Hollywood and along the way he had a lot of voice-over work and small TV roles, including an uncredited role in "The Lonely" from Season 1. At first, he's hard to spot, but once he delivers one of his few lines, viewers will immediately know it's Knight from his distinct voice. 

Peter Falk

When you think of Peter Falk you probably think of one of two roles, that of the titular detective in Colombo or as the grandfather in The Princess Bride. Those are only two roles in a storied career, however. Before ever landing his role as TV's most famous bumbling detective (all due respect to Monk), Falk starred in an episode in Season 3 called "The Mirror" where he weirdly played a Fidel Castro-like dictator in an unnamed Central American country. 

Richard Kiel

"To Serve Man" in Season 3 of The Twilight Zone is one of the most famous episodes of the series. Starring as the unspeaking, imposing alien is the one and only Richard Kiel. It's a perfect role for the actor who would become most famous for playing one of the all-time great henchmen in the James Bond movies, Jaws. 

Telly Savalas

"Who loves you, baby?" It's one of the most iconic catchphrases in TV history, made famous by Telly Savalas in Kojak. A decade before he starred as the super cool TV detective, he played a gruff stepfather who gets into a fight with his stepdaughter's baby doll in the Season 5 episode "Living Doll." 

Jonathan Winters

Jonathan Winters was most renowned for his comedy work. In addition to many comedy albums, his appearances in movies like It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and on TV shows like Mork & Mindy made him very famous. On The Twilight Zone, he played a more serious role of a legendary pool shark called down from heaven to prove another player's mettle in "A Game Of Pool" from Season 3. 

Martin Landau

When Martin Landau won an Oscar in 1994 for his role in Ed Wood, he'd been in the business for decades. His big breakout came as part of the cast of the original Mission: Impossible TV show in the late '60s. Before that, he starred in two episodes of The Twilight Zone, "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" from Season 1 and "The Jeopardy Room" from Season 5. 

Roddy McDowall

Roddy McDowall is most famous for playing Cornelius in The Planet of the Apes series, appearing in three of the original movies. He also starred in "People Are Alike All Over" from the first season of The Twilight Zone.

Sydney Pollack

Sydney Pollack is one of the best directors in Hollywood history, known for films like Tootsie, Out of Africa, and Michael Clayton. It makes perfect sense that in an early acting role, he played a director in the Season 2 episode, "The Trouble with Templeton."

This is a list that could go on and on, especially when you add in already established stars like Buster Keaton who also appeared in episodes, but for now, we'll leave it here with these big names who starred in The Twilight Zone early in their career. 

Whether it's space or an out-of-this-world Fox reality television show, one can never predict where William Shatner may pop up next. With that said, it does seem like cameo appearances in Star Trek, the franchise he helped build, are more or less off the table. The actor seemingly took a jab at that while promoting an upcoming cameo with DC Comics. 

If you're a fan of Star Trek who also dabbles in the world of DC superheroes, then you might want to head out to a comic book store in the coming days. William Shatner took to X to share and promote an upcoming comic book he will appear on the variant cover of, and it seems like he even made a joke about his reluctance to appear in Star Trek again. Take a look: 

Based on the photo, it appears the Justice League all chipped in to get a photo opp with William Shatner at a convention. Jokes aside, it is cool to see the actor rocking his patented leather jacket in this cover for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #25, even if I would've rather seen him in a Starfleet uniform. Unfortunately, for various reasons, it seems we won't see him suit up for the franchise or anything like that for upcoming Star Trek shows. 

It would appear that part of the reason William Shatner doesn't do cameos, namely for Star Trek, is his general issue with how they're done. Shatner went on the record and opened up about Leonard Nimoy's reprisal of Spock in 2009's Star Trek and called the appearance "gratuitous." In fairness, he seems to feel this way about cameos outside of Trek as well, which factored into him originally turning down The Big Bang Theory, only to agree later to appear. 

Another factor regarding why William Shatner hasn't appeared in the modern television runs of Star Trek could be tied to his general comments made about the new era. Shatner remarked at San Diego Comic-Con that creator Gene Roddenberry would be "turning in his grave" after witnessing some of the newer shows. The comments didn't sit well with fans, nor those involved with the shows. Shatner's words spurred public responses from Strange New Worlds star Melisssa Navia, and Rod Roddenberry gave his own take on his father's thoughts. 

Finally, Star Trek hasn't been afraid to recast key roles in its franchise, such as bringing Paul Wesley on as the James T. Kirk of the Prime timeline. That, plus the fact that Kirk's death in Star Trek Generations prevents an older version of the character from appearing, would make it rather hard for William Shatner to play Kirk. He could always play another character in a bit role, but as Shatner has indicated, he's not on board with "gratuitous" roles. He did just make an exception for DC Comics, however, so I'll continue to hold out hope that a return to Star Trek could happen. 

For now, the only way to easily see William Shatner in Star Trek is to watch his previous appearances with a Paramount+ subscription. Thankfully, there's no shortage of content to watch, so maybe spend the next month or so revisiting some of his best work. 

William Shatner has had a long and successful career in Hollywood and has played a plethora of characters. But if you ask most people what they most associate him with, they'd probably say Star Trek. While the actor hasn't been actively involved with the franchise in quite some time, his role as Captain James T. Kirk solidified him as one of the most iconic actors in all of science fiction (and pop culture as a whole). On that note, Shatner was asked if the role is the most meaningful of his career and responded honestly. 

While promoting a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and a special Q&A event, the 92-year-old actor spoke to Sarasota Magazine about his time as Captain Kirk. When asked whether or not the character represents the role that's most significant, he gave a loaded answer:  

William Shatner seemed to brush off the notion that the captain of the USS Enterprise is the most meaningful part to him, pointing out his career started long before Gene Roddenberry's TV series began. It's interesting that the star didn't reveal just which acting gig he holds closest to his heart. Also, let's be clear, even if Kirk isn't the character he treasures most, that doesn't necessarily mean he has no affection for it.

These latest sentiments aren't necessarily off-brand for William Shatner, who's had a complicated history with the franchise over the decades. Between past tensions he encountered while directing, his feuds with franchise vets like Wil Wheaton and George Takei and the controversial comments he made about the newer Trek shows, his connection to the franchise has been somewhat bumpy. So it wouldn't be all that surprising if he has complex feelings about the character that made him a bonafide star.

If Captain Kirk isn't the star's most meaningful part, then one has to wonder what role stands above it. Perhaps it's his performance as the titular character on T.J. Hooker or Denny Crane from Boston Legal. Then again, since the actor did reference his pre-Trek career, his favorite could be one from that era of his professional life.

Regardless of what the answer may be, one can't help but laugh a bit about the irony in William Shatner's latest statement. Of all the times for the actor to make this comment, it happened while he was promoting an upcoming Q&A for a screening of Wrath Of Khan. With that said though, in no way do I disrespect his hustle and willingness to be candid, even if that may be a bummer to hear before attending the event itself. 

Of course, how many people can say they've lived over ninety years and had much of that time consumed by the buzz surrounding one fictional role? I know I can't so, perhaps it's just best to let William Shatner speak his mind and continue to value the fact that he'll still talk about playing Kirk even if it's not necessarily the most cherished role of his career. 

Readers can get their fill of Captain Kirk if they have a Paramount+ subscription, as the streaming platform houses the bulk of Star Trek's content. With my own membership,  actually watched Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan for the first time and had a lot of things to say about it. 

Space may be the final frontier in the Star Trek world, but apparently earthbound grudges can still travel quite keenly through the vastness of space. Icons Unearthed director Brian Volk-Weiss knows that firsthand, as an interview he conducted for another project involving Gene Roddenberry’s “Wagon Train to the stars” saw Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’s Kirstie Alley tell a story about how William Shatner allegedly blocked her from returning for the next film in the series that gave us some of the best sci-fi movies.

William Shatner’s Alleged Reason For Blocking Kirstie Alley From Star Trek III

While I sat down with Volk-Weiss to discuss Icons Unearthed: James Bond, which is currently airing Wednesday nights on Vice, our talk hinged on one fact he held dear when it came to his work. As it turns out, he prides himself on getting the stories that you’d be more likely to hear at conventions rather than through official studio produced featurettes.

A prime example of that happening on this new run of 007 stories was, in Brian Volk-Weiss’ recollection, a wild interview with George Lazenby. However, the director/producer also made the History Channel series The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, which chronicled the property’s place in pop culture. 

So when it came to stories too hot for Starfleet, Brian shared a couple of those stories with CinemaBlend, which is where Kirstie Alley’s supposed Star Trek sendoff came to be discussed: 

The story that the late Kirstie Alley shared with Brian Volk-Weiss expands upon the original narrative behind why Star Trek III: The Search for Spock recast Lt. Savvik with actor Robin Curtis. As recalled by director Leonard Nimoy in his autobiography I Am Spock (via ScreenRant), the legendary sci-fi actor maintained the long held reason that Alley failed to return was the following: 

So if Ms. Alley’s wardrobe was so upsetting to Mr. Shatner, how’d she get away with it in the first place? Well, despite her role as a cool and logical Vulcan, Kirstie was a charming and beautiful human who played her own game to see how far she could push her look. That led to the gradual transformation that Brian Volk-Weiss, and some other Star Trek fans, may not have noticed until she pointed it out.

How Kirstie Alley Was Allowed To Push Her Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Wardrobe

Elaborating on how he didn’t even notice that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan kind of pulled the rug out from under fans, Volk-Weiss continued to share just how and why Kirstie Alley changed her look. Continuing to unravel this story, Icons Unearthed’s director provided these further details from his interview with Alley:

Admittedly, there was a lot riding on director Nicholas Meyer’s sequel, which led to even more wild Wrath of Khan stories. With happenings like Gene Roddenberry accidentally leaking Spock’s big death to the public, and the production’s jump from a TV movie to a theatrical release strategy, chaos reigned to a certain extent. 

So you can kind of see where Kirstie Alley would be able to get away with charming people into letting Lt. Savvik let her hair down, as well as walking around in a Starfleet standard issue bathrobe. It was a gambit that saw Alley supposedly priced out of any participation in the Star Trek universe’s future. If that’s true, then William Shatner’s outrage robbed the fans of what could have been an ongoing story that almost ended in a betrayal of the highest order. 

The Notable Absences Star Trek Sequels Saw As A Result

Both Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home saw Lt. Saavik returning through Robin Curtis’ performance, but the absence of Kirstie Alley had always stuck out with fans. This was only more pronounced as her star continued to rise thanks to one of Alley’s best movie and TV roles on Paramount’s hit sitcom Cheers. Which is probably why a potential third return for the character was considered by the time 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was written. 

While we eventually saw Kim Cattrall’s Lt. Valeris fill that role, the initial intent was to cast Saavik as the traitor on the Enterprise. Two big decisions shot that prospect down, according to Star Trek VI’s text commentary (via Wikipedia): Gene Roddenberry thought that the fandom would riot if Saavik was a traitor, and Cattrall didn’t want to just play the next iteration of that same character. 

Valeris was born from this perfect storm of elements, which ScreenRant also attributes to another salary dispute between Kirstie Alley and those in charge. It’s for certain that you don’t get a franchise like Star Trek to exist for almost 60 years without stories as juicy as these. Leave it to documentarians like Brian Volk-Weiss to find them as he puts together the series that dive deeper into the entertainment we love. 

Fans of the James Bond movies can learn more about the wild history that went into making them, as Icons Unearthed: James Bond continues to air on Wednesday nights, only on Vice. However, if you stick around, we’ll have some more details on stories of both Bond and Star Trek, as our interview with Brian Volk-Weis gave us even more to talk about on those twin fronts. 

Following his surprise appearance in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale, Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk stopped by for three Season 2 episodes, with the latter two, “Lost in Translation” and “Subspace Rhapsody,” taking place in the main Star Trek continuity. In other words, unlike Chris Pine’s Kirk, who lives in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Wesley is playing the exact same Kirk whom William Shatner brought to life in Star Trek: The Original Series, just several years younger. While this didn’t end up translating to Wesley doing a Shatner impression while working on the Paramount+ show, he does have high praise for his predecessor’s performance.

Wesley spent some time talking about Strange New Worlds while appearing on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. When the title host asked the Vampire Diaries vet if he ever wondered about imitating the way Shatner would deliver his lines in The Original Series and his following seven film appearances, he responded: 

There’s no lack of William Shatner impersonations out there, but it was wise of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds show runners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers to steer Paul Wesley away from doing that. That would be better suited for the humor-driven Lower Decks, but on Strange New Worlds, Wesley doing his best to replicate Shatner’s speech pattern would have come off as too distracting and likely be construed as mockery. So instead, as Chris Pine did in his three Star Trek movies (it’s still unclear if Star Trek 4 will ever happen), Wesley simply spoke in his normal voice and channeled the spirit of the character to better effect.

Besides, Wesley finds the “stigma” surrounding the way Shatner said his lines on Star Trek: The Original Series to be overblown, so it’s likely he would have pushed back on an imitation if it was brought up as a possibility. During his podcast appearance, Wesley also retold the story of the time he met Shatner on a plane before he was allowed to tell anyone he’d been cast as Strange New Worlds’ Kirk. Fortunately, the two reunited after Wesley’s Star Trek debut was announced when he was asked to give an opening talk at Shatner’s handprint ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con, which led to the two chatting for a while.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds concluded its second season on August 10, and Paramount+ subscribers can look forward to Season 3 at a yet-to-be-announced date. While fans don’t need to worry about Paul Wesley’s James Kirk taking over as captain of the Enterprise from Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike anytime soon, if at all, the actor has made it clear he’s game to keep playing Kirk for as long as possible, unlike his Vampire Diaries character, Stefan. While we wait for news on Season 3, catch up to speed on programing available to watch now with our 2023 TV schedule.

It's Father's Day, and who better to engulfed in it than two celebrities frequently referred to as "daddy" by social media users? William Shatner has been called "daddy" a lot -- more recently when he's popped up on Stars On Mars to give celebrities their next mission on the Mars colony. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal has also held the moniker for a while despite not having any children of his own. As such, Shatner wanted to commemorate that distinction with a message dedicated to the Mandalorian star and did so using song and dance. 

I'm not entirely sure why William Shatner went out of his way to shout out Pedro Pascal for Father's Day, but it could be tied to his frequent need to talk about his love for Star Wars. In either case, I'm happy he decided to do this rather than binge some episodes of The Mandalorian with a Disney+ subscription, because this video is a trip: 

The veteran actor's shoutout to the Game of Thrones alum is great and, if you're feeling a bit jealous, you can have one too! The 92-year-old, as well as other celebrities, are part of a custom service from American Greetings called Smashups, which allows people to send customized videos for various occasions. Those interested can sign up for a free seven-day trial and send personalized greetings to their heart's delight. So if you're feeling left out by this, don't!

Pedro Pascal didn't reply to William Shatner, but I'd like to think that he's just as honored as anyone would be to get called daddy by the man who made Star Trek a success. Of course, Shatner's far from the first to call him that, as everyone -- from the kids of Pascal's former classmates to Sarah Michelle Gellar -- has rolled with the trend when it comes to The Last of Us star. 

The 48-year-old actor certainly does feel like America's father in some respects, especially considering two of his biggest roles see him playing paternal figures to young people. His Mandalorian character, Din Djarin, protected Grogu and is now his guiding light in the Star Wars universe. I guess fans can debate whether or not Joel serves as a good father to Ellie, especially after seeing how The Last of Us' Season 1 finale played out. 

As for William Shatner, he's getting a good deal of screen time on TV, thanks to his aforementioned role on Stars On Mars. There's always a chance we could see him pop back up in the Star Trek universe. Yet given that he's opined that franchise creator Gene Roddenberry would turn in his grave if he could see modern Trek productions, he may not have a ton of offers from the franchise. In any case, the actor seems happy with his current endeavors, and I wouldn't mind seeing him continue to shower Pedro Pascal or any of the internet's other daddies with love as well.

Stars On Mars airs on Fox on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, so tune in to see celebrities prove they can survive on a simulated Mars colony.

While some people know Freddie Prinze Jr. for roles like Ray Bronson in I Know What You Did Last Summer or Fred Jones in the first two live-action Scooby-Doo movies (though he has “regret” over doing those flicks), Star Wars fans recognize him as the voice of Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars Rebels, which Disney+ subscribers can stream. However, if you were hoping to ever hear the actor voice the Jedi again, or potentially even see him play the character in live-action, that’s not happening. Prinze gave a blunt reason for why he won’t return for other Star Wars projects, and William Shatner would probably approve of it.

During a visit to The Big Thing podcast, Prinze chatted about his Star Wars experience among other topics, which included revealing that he only did that vocal cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as a “favor,” and otherwise has no interest in returning to a galaxy far, far away. When host Kristian Harloff asked if this meant “no Ahsoka,” the actor responded:

I’d be remiss not to mention that Kanan Jarrus did get laid given the presence of his and Hera Syndulla’s son, Jacen, in the Star Wars Rebels series finale, but that’s beside the point. Freddie Prinze Jr. made it clear he’s moved on from Star Wars, and on top of that mentioned that he was more of a Star Trek fan in his younger years, which had more sexual content to his liking. So this should warm the heart of William Shatner, the original James T. Kirk who’s been known to makes jokes at Star Wars’ expense every now and then. Perhaps more importantly, the people running the new Star Trek TV shows that air to Paramount+ subscribers should consider finding a role for Prinze since he’s such a fan.

Of course, Star Wars Rebels viewers will remember that Kanan died towards the end of the show’s run, sacrificing his life in “Jedi Night” so that Hera and the other Spectres could escape from the Empire. Still, between flashbacks and possibly being able to take Force Ghost form, it’s not like there’s a lack of options for bringing him back, but that’s not something Prinze is interested in doing given how the character’s arc concluded. He continued:

Following Star Wars Rebels’ conclusion in 2018, in addition to the aforementioned Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker cameo, Freddie Prinze Jr. also briefly returned as Kanan in Star Wars: The Bad Batch’s premiere episode, where the teenaged version of the character watched his master, Depa Billaba, be murdered during Order 66. Now obviously Kanan could still appear in Star Wars books and comic book series in the coming years, but as far as him being depicted on screen, unless Lucasfilm wants to recast the role, then don’t get your hopes up for that happening again.

If you are interested in what this space opera franchise has coming up, check out the lineup of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, or you can plant your feet firmly in the past by marathoning the Star Wars movies in order on Disney+. Ahsoka premieres on the platform this August.

It’s been over three years since Modern Family ended, and Ariel Winter is finally making her return to television, and of all the people she could join on screen, she'll be sharing it with Star Trek icon William Shatner. As the Modern Family cast moved on to other projects, specifically of the scripted variety, I bet not many pictured the Alex actress being in the same series as Shatner for her next major project, I know I didn't. 

Winter is set to take part in the new Fox un-scripted series Stars on Mars. Premiering on June 5, the series will see 12 celebrities prepare to launch to the red planet to compete and conquer Mars until there is one space invader left, claiming the title of “the brightest star in the galaxy.” Shatner was previously announced to return to Fox for the new galactic series, and he will be the one to hand out interstellar quests as Mission Control. Although it’s not exactly Star Trek or Fox’s brutal celebrity competition series Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, a fun Mars-centric competition seems like an out-of-this-world idea. 

Joining Ariel Winter in the space station will be Lance Armstrong, Natasha Leggero, Marshawn Lynch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adam Rippon, Ronda Rousey, and many more, making for quite the ensemble. The stars will compete against each other in missions and vote to eliminate a crew member each week, and I have not doubt that William Shatner will also be having a grand time seeing everyone struggle and prove their worth for Mars.

Ariel Winter is no stranger to working with a wide range of stars, as Modern Family had some great guest stars over its 11-season run. However, with this news series, I can't help but think about how wild it is that this ABC comedy alum will be joining William Shatner of all people on a space adventure. Knowing that Alex Dunphy is competing for a spot in the galaxy and Captain Kirk is handing her assignments is a strange thought, but it will make for good television, especially with everyone else involved in it.

Since Stars on Mars is a competition series with eliminations every week, it’s unknown how long Winter will be on the series and how much she will interact with Shatner. Even though no one really saw this coming, especially considering it's the actress’ first big role since the ABC series ended, her being surrounded by a wide range of celebrities is bound to be entertaining. 

Stars on Mars is set to premiere on Monday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, so in just a month, Ariel Winter will be making her highly-anticipated return to television and appearing alongside the intergalactic man himself, William Shatner. The 2023 TV schedule is heating up for the summer, so while some shows will be ending soon for the season, summer is just getting started, and its programming just might be out of this world.

William Shatner has been a television icon in the sci-fi sphere for more than half a decade thanks to his role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. He has even left the planet in real life with a space flight back in 2021, but now he’s set to go out of this world with a new show on Fox. A new unscripted competition series called Stars on Mars is on the way this summer, with William Shatner as Mission Control. 

Stars on Mars recruits celebrities to give up their glamorous lifestyles on Earth for some new challenges, although this show isn’t going to be on par with Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and its brutal interrogation challenge. The stars will be “celebronauts” who will have to colonize and conquer their surroundings in a new galaxy, all while competing to be the last one standing. Shatner is on board as Mission Control, whose role will be delivering intergalactic tasks to the celebronauts on the red planet. 

While the premise might sound somewhat silly and the show obviously won't involve anybody actually leaving the atmosphere and traveling to Mars, it will pit contestants against conditions authentic to what they would experience living on Mars, requiring brains, brawn, and social skills to last to the end. Eliminations will come down to voting, and eliminated celebronauts are sent back to Earth... a.k.a. sent home from competition. Fox hasn’t announced any participating stars at this point, but Shatner shared an on-brand statement about Stars on Mars: 

On the whole, Stars on Mars sounds a lot more lighthearted than Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, and I can imagine that it might have been easier to recruit celebrities to what sounds more like a silly version of Survivor with an outer space theme than anything too physically grueling. Then again, it’s still early! The preview for the new project doesn’t give away much more than that Stars on Mars really is embracing its theme: 

Stars on Mars marks William Shatner’s return to Fox after his “unusual” experience on on The Masked Singer as The Knight. Shatner didn’t last too long on the singing show, but his reveal left an impact on fellow contestant (and former boybander) Chris Kirkpatrick! Being cut from The Masked Singer evidently didn’t sour Shatner on the network, and fans of the actor can just wonder what exactly being Mission Control will entail with Stars on Mars. 

At the time of writing, Fox hasn’t revealed an official premiere date for Stars on Mars, but the new show will hit the airwaves at some point in June. It sounds like viewers will see a different side of William Shatner, who recently went from explaining his approach to Kirk’s fate in Star Trek to calling out Elon Musk. As for what else is coming to TV in the coming months, there are plenty of other summer options that have already received their dates, and you can find them on our 2023 TV premiere schedule. 

Although 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country marked the last hurrah for The Original Series cast together, William Shatner’s James T. Kirk had one more cinematic adventure left in him. Three years later, Shatner reprised his most famous role for Star Trek Generations, which ended with Kirk during his team-up with Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard. While the manner in which Kirk died is a polarizing topic among Star Trek fans, Shatner has explained how he approached filming this emotional moment in the franchise’s seventh movie.

In an interview with Variety, William Shatner addressed that he had some “say” in how James T. Kirk perished in Star Trek Generations, namely that the character he’d played for over 25 years by that point would face death with a sense of wonder, which makes a lot of sense. As he explained:

For those who need a refresher, William Shatner’s James Kirk was fatally injured when he fell from a collapsing metal catwalk after de-cloaking the missile that Malcolm McDowell’s Soran, Star Trek Generations’ main antagonist, planned to launch. You can stream Generations with your HBO Max subscription to remind yourself of the full scope of Soran’s grand plan involving the Nexus, but ultimately he was defeated, and before he died, Kirk told Picard that helping his fellow captain of the Enterprise save the day was “fun.” Kirk’s final words were, “Oh my,” and Picard then retrieved the body and gave it a proper burial on Veridian III. 

Although William Shatner later wrote a series of novels where James T. Kirk was resurrected thanks to an alliance between the Romulans and the Borg, within the official canon, Generations marked the end of his journey. As Shatner saw it, taking into account all the amazing things Kirk saw and did during his years exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations, of course he would be captivated by the presence of death and embrace walking into the great unknown. For Kirk to face something that grand any differently would feel out of character.

We’re coming up on three decades since William Shatner last played James Kirk, and although the actor was given an opportunity to cameo in 2009’s Star Trek, he turned it down, calling what was written “the stupidest scene I have ever heard of” in 2017. By 2021, Shatner said he would consider playing Kirk again if “they could explain the 55-year difference,” but otherwise he’s keeping busy enough and is comfortable with Star Trek being in his past. Along with sharing his comments about Kirk’s death scene, Shatner has been in the news lately for explaining why he skipped Leonard Nimoy’s funeral and calling Elon Musk out on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Chris Pine played James Kirk in the three movies set in Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline, but given the numerous setbacks Star Trek 4 keeps facing, it’s hard to say if we’ll ever see him return to that role either. Then in the TV realm, Paul Wesley debuted as a younger version of the main Kirk in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale, and he’ll be back for Season 2, which premieres to Paramount+ subscribers on June 15.

Twitter has always been sort of the wild west, but things have been even crazier in the months since Elon Musk took over the social media site. One of the major points of contention has been how Twitter should handle Verified status. Musk had previously announced that those who had been verified prior to his takeover were going to lose that status unless they paid for the Twitter Blue service. Many verified users didn’t love this, including celebrities like William Shatner.

Shatner used Twitter to ask Twitter owner Elon Musk directly what was going on with the verified status issue. He made it clear that he didn’t love the decision to remove the blue check mark from “legacy” verified users on April 1. Shatner didn’t understand why he would be expected to pay for something that had previously been free.

Elon Musk responded to Shatner’s criticism, explaining that the goal was equality and that celebrities should not get special treatment. And while the Star Trek star said that he appreciated that idea, the problem for somebody in his position is that somebody else could set up a fake account that could look like the real thing because the check mark is available to anybody willing to pay the money.

Shatner’s position is at least understandable. We’ve already seen people, either in an intentional move to mislead or in an attempt to point out how easily it can be done, do exactly this. Lots of Twitter-verified people probably don’t run such a risk, but bigger celebrities do. Other friends and fans of William Shatner showed support for the actor’s position. 

In the end, Shatner decided he would not become a Twitter Blue subscriber. The actor explained that he was fairly certain that something else would need to be done. At some point, there would be an “incident” that would cause Twitter to change these rules, and he’d just wait until we got there. He explained...

Of course, we now know that, at least for time being, blue check marks aren’t going away. On April 1, instead of legacy accounts losing the check mark, a note was added to accounts that simply doesn’t differentiate between legacy and paid accounts. While not everybody loves this compromise, it works for Shatner. 

One has to wonder if it was the response of Shatner and others that led to this apparent compromise. Whether this will be the new standard, or even more changes are still on the way remains to be seen. What’s clear is that a lot of people, and a lot of celebrities do like using Twitter, and they want to keep doing so, but if the goal of Twitter is now to find ways to get people to pay for it, a new strategy is going to be needed