Chris Pine should return to theStar Trekfranchise, but I don’t think he should necessarily return as Captain James T. Kirk. Chris Pine began his journey into the final frontier in JJ Abrams’Star Trek (2009), playing a character many thought would only ever belong to William Shatner.Pine brought Kirk’s humor, bravery, and selflessness back to lifeafter Shatner’s last on-screen appearance as the good captain in 1994’sStar Trek: Generations. Pine went on to star in two more reboot films,Star Trek: Into Darknessin 2014 andStar Trek: Beyondin 2016.
Since then, Chris Pine hasn’t reappeared in anyStar Trektimeline, neither movie nor TV show. However, in his time back on Earth, Pine has dipped his toes into other areas of the entertainment industry by writing, directing, and producing projects. In 2023, Pine wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his filmPoolman. All of this happened as thesequel toStar Trek: Beyondwas being handed back and forth between creative teams. I think Chris Pine should head one of those teams and make the elusive sequel a reality.
Chris Pine Should Come Back To Star Trek As A Director
Poolman Proved Pine’s Willingness And Ability To Direct A Movie
AlthoughPoolmanwas not a critical or commercial success, it indicates Pine has a future behind the camera. He seems to enjoy the art of filmmaking, from behind-the-scenes details to playing the starring role. To me,Pine’s first movie as a directorisn’t measured by quality, but rather by his willingness to make it in the first place. After decades of acting, it’s nice to see such a familiar face take on other roles in the industry and wear different creative hats. DespitePoolman’s poor reception,Pine now has experience leading a film project.
Chris Pine Is Curious About Playing Star Trek’s Captain Kirk Again: “I’m A Lot Older Now”
Chris Pine would be happy to play Captain Kirk in Star Trek again, and he wonders what playing his version of a middle-aged Kirk would be like.
Since we knowChris Pine wants to make a low-budgetStar Trekmovieto please long-time fans, now is the perfect time to see that dream come to fruition. Even if the original crew of JJ Abrams' reboot film doesn’t return, Pine could still try his hand at aStar Trekfilm in the near future. Since the franchise’s first-ever streaming movie, Michelle Yeoh’sStar Trek: Section 31, is set to premiere in 2025,the possibilities for Pine’s creative journey intoStar Trekare endless.Both film and TV projects are potential avenues for a Pine-led project.
Chris Pine Was The Millennial’s Captain Kirk
An Entire Generation Has Chris Pine As Their Captain Kirk
Chris Pine was, and still is, extremely popular as Captain Jim Kirk. He had all the charisma that William Shatner brought to the role, plus he added even more complexity to the character by showcasing personal struggles.Chris Pine’sStar Trekmovieshave also fared well at the box office, bringing in millions of dollars for Paramount Pictures. Numbers dwindled over the three films, but none of them were disappointments. Thanks to a young, millennial audience,Pine is still very much associated withStar Trek.
$75,204,289
$257,730,019
$70,165,559
$228,778,661
$59,253,211
$158,848,340
The viewers who grew up with Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk are now a huge part of the modern box office. Knowing that Pine is behind aStar Trekproject would positively influence the audience and generate a lot of interest in the project. The nostalgia tied to the reboot films would be a huge factor in a new film’s success. With aStar Trekprequel film set largely on Earthreportedly in the works, I think a Chris Pine low-budget sequel toStar Trek: Beyondcould be the perfect counterbalance to a franchise that’s being split in a lot of different directions.
