The prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is poised to showcase the adventures of the USS Enterprise while it was commanded by Captain Christopher Pike. Ostensibly set sometime after the events of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, which prominently featured Pike and his crew, Strange New Worlds takes place approximately a decade before the start of Star Trek: The Original Series. Paul Wesley was recently announced as portraying TOS protagonist James T. Kirk in Strange New Worlds, and while a welcome addition to the cast, that hints that the upcoming show may be bringing a plot twist to the established Star Trek mythos.
In the preview image heralding Wesley’s casting announcement as Kirk, the character is seen seated in the captain’s chair of a starship stoically gazing into the wonders of the cosmos. Closer inspection reveals that Wesley’s Kirk has the familiar markings of a Captain on his Starfleet uniform. Since Strange New Worlds is supposed to be taking place years before Kirk serves as the captain of the Enterprise, which is his first command, that detail raises some inconsistencies that will likely signal some big changes away from what fans expect.
At the approximate time of Strange New Worlds, Kirk would be serving as an officer aboard the USS Farragut and being mentored by his commanding officer Captain Garrovick (before Garrovick’s untimely demise facing a bloodthirsty extraterrestrial monster). That backstory suggests that Kirk could be wearing a captain’s uniform in the photo either as an interim captain or that there will be changes to the established franchise history that place him either in command of a different starship or in charge of the Enterprise far earlier than anticipated. However, changes to the timeline would likely upset Star Trek‘s longtime fan base — so using Kirk to make a major retcon seems improbable.
Another possibility behind Kirk being seen in a captain’s uniform is that it’s all a grand misdirect: he’s either wearing the command uniform as part of a training exercise or in flash-forward sequences to Kirk’s captaincy of the Enterprise. Strange New Worlds could use a narrative framing device of Spock recalling his history serving under Pike and telling it to Kirk as Kirk takes command of the Enterprise. And given the tragic fate that befalls Pike, Kirk’s choice in uniform could hint at an even bigger twist for Strange New Worlds‘ overarching story.
Pike is destined to endure horrific injuries while rescuing people from a fire, resulting in his premature retirement from active duty. This was elaborated on and foreshadowed in Discovery Season 2, with Pike receiving a vision of his future but deciding to selflessly progress with his Starfleet service anyway. Pike could endure his accident over the course of the new series, resulting in Kirk taking command of the Enterprise in his place. But that would effectively make Strange New Worlds a modern retread of the TOS era, which is also highly unlikely.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is poised to delve into a relatively unexplored period of Star Trek history, weaving additional familiar characters like Doctor M’Benga, Nurse Chapel and Nyota Uhura into Pike’s adventures. With Kirk being such a celebrated character in the franchise, the character’s inclusion in Strange New Worlds is certainly one that fans are looking forward to. But perhaps more than asking how Wesley will portray the character, fans have a bigger set of questions about how the character will appear and what exactly his striking uniform designation entails for the prequel series.
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres May 5 on Paramount+.
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