Star Trek Almost Brought William Shatner Back as Captain Kirk on Strange New Worlds

If you thought Star Trek was done trying to lure William Shatner back into the captain's chair, think again. The makers of Strange New Worlds have been angling to get the original Kirk himself back on board—and not just as some throwaway cameo either.

The Missed Shatner Episode

Strange New Worlds is bowing out after five seasons, so you'd expect there might be a few ideas left on the cutting room floor. Turns out, one of those abandoned plotlines would have been a love letter to old school Trek—and a massive event for the franchise: William Shatner making his first proper return as Captain Kirk in decades.

Showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman recently lifted the lid on this what-could-have-been during a chat with Polygon. Goldsman, in particular, sounded a bit gutted: he reckons his biggest regret is not pulling off Shatner's comeback as Kirk.

So, what was the big plan? If you're a deep Trek fan, you'll recognise the concept immediately—they wanted to do a sequel to 'The City on the Edge of Forever', which is still widely considered one of the best Star Trek episodes ever aired. Strong words, but fair.

Quick Recap: ‘City on the Edge of Forever’

If you need a refresher (or just haven't slogged through all of the original series):

• Dr McCoy goes through a weird time portal called the Guardian of Forever, and accidentally mucks up history so badly that the Federation proper never comes to exist.
• Kirk and Spock chase him back to 1930s New York and meet Edith Keeler (played by Joan Collins), a social worker with a heart of gold.
• Kirk falls head over heels for her, but Spock figures out that if Edith lives, the future collapses, the bad guys win WWII, and the world goes completely sideways. Kirk is forced to let her die to fix the timeline—which, even by Trek standards, is a punch in the gut.

The Sequel That Never Was

According to the showrunners, the new episode would have spun off from that absolute corker of a story. The twist: this time, Kirk decides to stay with Edith in 1930s New York, opting for love over duty. Writers apparently gave it a proper go, drafting various versions of the script each season, hoping the stars (and the Shatner) would align.

Bit of trivia for you—Joan Collins was even considered to reprise Edith. She’s still acting, because of course she is.

Why It Never Happened

No one’s blaming Shatner for being hard to land here; it’s just one of those legendary what-ifs. There’s a sense from Kurtzman and Goldsman that it’s better to walk away with a few things left undone. Kurtzman put it this way:

"I think if you get to the end and there's nothing left for you to want to do, then that's more of a disappointment. I'm proud of every episode we've done, but I feel like the best dinners you come to don't leave you feeling stuffed. They leave you wanting more."

Strange New Worlds: The Endgame

As for what actually is coming, Strange New Worlds season 4 lands 23 July. Goldsman describes this new batch as 'very pure Strange New Worlds,' meaning it bounces across different genres and tones, but then tightens up for the final six episodes—a more focused finish as the curtain comes down. And in case you missed the recent announcement, the fifth and final season will have just six episodes, and those are already in the can.