Chris Pine Almost Returned as Captain Kirk in Star Trek Animated Series!

Captain Kirk's Animated Return: Why Chris Pine Almost Came Back to Star Trek (Twice!)

Chris Pine's Captain Kirk: Two Missed Animated Comebacks in Star Trek!

It's been a while since we've seen Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk – his last appearance was in Star Trek Beyond (2016)! But, get this: Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy BOTH wanted him back for animated cameos! Crazy, right? This was a really exciting missed opportunity! That legendary actor's absence became even more apparent after some key cast returns in other productions! How exactly did that happen? What went wrong?

Chris Pine’s casting as Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie reboot (2009) was insanely successful! He became the new Kirk across three movies and this popularity meant he should’ve become an integral part of new Star Trek content! The show made a concerted effort to re-introduce older and highly-loved Star Trek characters into its current storyline; this helped reinvigorate the existing fan base, adding appeal to newer and more casual fans of the universe, all done primarily using highly capable voice actors; making their use even more apparent!

Also Read: Star Trek: Prodigy Finally Reveals Voyager's Mirror Universe

Lower Decks' Lost Opportunity: Bringing Kirk to the Animated Comedy

Star Trek Beyond, Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, To the Enterprise and to absent friends toast Image

Mike McMahan, the mastermind behind Star Trek: Lower Decks, totally wanted Chris Pine to voice Kirk in the show, as revealed at a panel! (Check out the video linked to this article). Lower Decks cleverly mixes that Star Trek canon with loads of Easter Eggs; showcasing the breadth and vastness of that universe. Making Kirk, possibly one of the most popular Star Trek captains (tied with Patrick Stewart's Picard), a pivotal character would greatly appeal to audiences, helping improve how recognizable this particular show is for those less familiar.

The show’s timing made Pine's Kirk appear even more significant: This would’ve also helped significantly improve its profile; the presence of a wildly famous character like Pine’s Kirk, appearing on this rather niche Star Trek series could be completely transformative for that specific audience. It also comes as Chris Pine’s popularity far exceeds any of that other new Star Trek content’s potential; making that absence incredibly notable and making fans speculate why his participation remains absent!

Also Read: Captain Janeway's Coffee Obsession in Star Trek: Voyager Explained

Prodigy's Multiverse Mishap: Kirk's Near-Miss in an Alternate Reality

Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek Beyond with the Enterprise in the background. Image

Star Trek: Prodigy also tried bringing in Pine’s Kirk; explained to us in an interview with co-executive producer, Aaron J. Waltke! (Check out the interview to this article) It involved Prodigy's season 2, this amazingly ambitious story arc focuses on this epic battle to save that entire Star Trek Multiverse! It showcases those numerous alternate realities which perfectly shows the extent of the series and it is intended to explore multiple potential versions. Using this exact event (this appearance in alternate universes), introducing Pine’s Kirk seemed the most ideal.

This moment presents that insane opportunity for having Pine appear across episodes and it would easily become a highly memorable experience, the biggest role for Pine’s Kirk since Beyond. Sadly, the planning went nowhere – logistical constraints became apparent when weighing in the complexities associated with coordinating with actors to allow those cameo events and their implementation became extremely expensive and would otherwise significantly disrupt the primary storytelling in season 2, resulting in a delay that the show could not manage. Those missed opportunities and lost possibilities make viewers realize how incredibly profound a moment this would have been, given its significant nature and high possibility.

Also Read: Star Trek: Prodigy Timeline: When Does Season 1 Take Place?

Why an Animated Comeback Would’ve Been Perfect

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Chris Pine is extremely popular. He's also incredibly talented – a skilled voice actor; featured in many big animated films (like Rise of the Guardians, Wish, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)! He may easily take on voicing Kirk again – even briefly; he is completely capable of capturing his style from Abrams’ Star Trek; generating amazing appeal, adding tremendous excitement and anticipation. The impact on these animated series from such an enormously popular star would bring about immense levels of increased popularity and engagement for each of these series’ fanbases.

Also Read: Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Ending Explained: Time Travel, Picard, & The New Protostar

So, When Will Pine's Kirk Return? The Continuing Saga!

The cinematic Kirk remains largely absent for quite a long time already and despite many viewers expressing keen interest to see him and those characters come back; those movie sequels failed. There was some reported discussion within Paramount; audiences wanting another Star Trek movie! Sadly, Star Trek 4 has been mired in issues for ages; delays plague this and this highly anticipated installment; yet despite several actors including Chris Pine himself stating a desire to come back and participate; there continues to be that ever-present possibility; especially after another planned screenplay is reportedly written!

Those animated cameos are unfortunately almost completely unlikely; considering those shows' own cancellations. Yet the door’s certainly never completely closed – after all; this is Star Trek! Anything’s possible. Despite that lost opportunity however the very act of its failure remains entirely significant; considering how it highlights that specific timing issues create problems; highlighting exactly why having proper scheduling becomes necessary.

Conclusion: The Undying Hope for Kirk's Return to Star Trek

While both animated series lost their chance at introducing Chris Pine as Kirk; and both scenarios offer huge missed potential; that possibility doesn't diminish fan desire and anticipation for a return; there is a large amount of lingering anticipation to see that cinematic crew back again and there are several rumors and other various suggestions around his possible future reintroduction, particularly across other Star Trek series that might use some added intrigue.

The hope remains alive that the most celebrated Star Trek crew ever gets their rightful return – it might just take longer than many originally hoped! Yet even the mere hint of that possible return itself shows just how important and recognizable the entire team had actually become; especially during this particular revival.