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Yes, William Shatner Will Be in “Star Trek 3:” “I’m Very Excited About the Film”

Captain Kirk will be reunited with Spock for the first time since 2009, J.J. Abrams made Shatner’s cameo possible

Sep 30, 2014 19:21 GMT  ·  By
William Shatner played Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” TV series and feature films
   William Shatner played Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” TV series and feature films

When the third installment in the new “Star Trek” franchise arrives in theaters in 2016, it won’t bring just the old gang back in front of the camera, but also Leonard Nimoy as the old Spock, and for the first time ever, William Shatner as the old Captain James T. Kirk.

This will be the first time the original Spock and Kirk appear together on the big screen since 2009, with Shatner’s cameo being one that fans have been praying for (no exaggeration) for years. J.J. Abrams, who directed the first two installments, “Star Trek” and “Star Trek Into Darkness,” made it possible.

The third film will be helmed by Roberto Orci.

William Shatner plays games with the media, fans’ hearts

For the past week or so, rumors about Shatner’s cameo have been ripe, originating from an unnamed production insider telling trade publications that it would happen in the third installment, after attempts to have it in either of the two installments.

The spy claimed that Shatner was wholeheartedly on board with this, which meant he would not try to pull the diva antics that cost him his cameo the first two times around, when he tried to demand more screentime and more dialog.

Shatner’s first reaction was to deny the reports, saying he hadn’t been contacted for anything, so he had no idea what the fuss was all about. Nonetheless, he opined that whatever rumors were making the rounds must be “hype” built by the movie studio in a bid to drum up interest in the film. As if “Star Trek” would ever need such cheap PR tactics.

Then, over the weekend, at the 2014 Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, the 83-year-old actor changed his tune to say that he had been approached by Abrams and he would be delighted to appear in the film. However, he stressed, he could think of no convincing way to include his aging Kirk into the story, even if the gimmick used for Spock had worked.

Today, Shatner is all but confirming the cameo

“I was cautioned not to be speak about this”

“Here's my dilemma, I was cautioned not to speak about this and the next day it was out all over Twitter,” Shatner tells the Daily Mail in a statement. “So I talked about it and then I get another phone call telling me to keep quiet again! All I can say is that I'm very excited about the film.”

Obviously, only the movie studio could caution Shatner not to speak about something, because they would have a contract with him enforcing said caution. And the only reason he’d be excited about “Star Trek 3” is if he was in it as well, because he’s really not that polite to say something like this as a courtesy.

More telling than what Shatner is not saying is the fact that he and Roberto Orci seem to be in communication on Twitter – and on particularly good terms when it comes to shutting down haters who think he shouldn’t be in “Star Trek 3.”

So, even if official confirmation of Shatner’s cameo doesn’t come at all until the movie is out, it’s probably 90 percent safe to bet on it. Are you excited to see the original Kirk and Spock together again? Let us know in the comments section below.