JJ Abrams' 2009Star Trekmovie cleverly rebooted the franchise by setting the new saga in a reality parallel to the Prime Universe, but the writer/director also made the divisive decision to fire Chris Pine’s version of James T. Kirk rapidly through the ranks at Starfleet. Althoughthe Kelvin Timeline is largely separate from the Prime Universe- the crossover of Leonard Nimoy’s Prime Spock not withstanding, it still abides by many of the same rules and regulations that exist in the franchise’s main dimension. As such, the 2009 movie calls one of Abrams' biggest creative choices into question.
Pine is just one of fiveactors to play Captain Kirk in theStar Trekfranchise, with William Shatner’s version being the most prolific. Having already appeared in threeStar Trekmoviesbetween 2009 and 2016, the long-delayedStar Trek4is still supposedly happening, althoughthe progress on Pine’s return as Kirk has long been halted. Although Chris Pine’s movies hold a unique place in the largerStar Trektimeline, his iteration of Kirk being handed captaincy of the USS Enterprise is still unusual.
Chris Pine’s Kirk Being Promoted Straight To Captain Is Odd In Star Trek 2009’s Movie
Kirk goes from cadet to captain in one fell swoop
Every main version of James Kirk inStar Trekis a natural-born leader with a talent for improvisation, and Pine’s version of the character is no different. His actions in the 2009 movie are incredibly heroic, and the fallout of his intervention is significant. Therefore, althoughit would be understandable for Pine’s character to receive some form of rewardor commendation, promoting him from an entry-level cadet straight to the rank of captain feels very out of character for an organization such as Starfleet.
James Kirk was not even supposed to be present on board the Enterprise during the mission in 2009’sStar Trek, as he stowed himself away to force Starfleet into taking him along.
Pine’s Kirk was inarguably a major factor in the heroes' success in Abrams' firstStar Trekmovie, but allowing him to pass over all the hard-working ensigns, lieutenants, and commanders who had spent their careers building a reputation for themselves is a bizarre way for Starfleet to express their gratitude to him.It perhaps would have been more believable if Kirk were handed his first commission as ensigninstead, or even perhaps allowed to jump to lieutenant junior grade, but being given command of a ship so soon just feels very misguided.
Why Star Trek 2009 Fast-Tracked Kirk’s Captaincy In Star Trek
Although Kirk’s reward at theend of the 2009Star Trekmoviedoesn’t make sense canonically, there is a great deal of logic involved from a scriptwriting perspective. Although it took a very creative route, the movie was intended to reboot theStar Trekfranchise, so Pine’s Kirk had to be given an origin story. Taking any longer than a single movie to do this would have risked alienating new fans, sohe pretty much had to be captain of the Enterprise by the installment’s finale, as this is how he’s known pretty much universally in popular culture.
2009
94%
2013
84%
2016
86%
In a TV show, this wouldn’t have been as much of an issue, as spreading the arc throughout a full season would have felt a little less jarring. In movie form,it’s pretty difficult to avoid unless Kirk’s promotions don’t happen until a later sequel. Plus, there’s also the consideration that by giving Pine’s Kirk such a different backstory to Shatner’s version, Abrams was able to keep the two iterations much further apart in terms of similarity, which was very respectful to the man who originated the character in 1966.
Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk Is Still A Great Version Of The Character
The Kelvin Timeline allowed Pine to make changes to Kirk
Pine being installed as the Enterprise’s captain after just one mission as a cadet is a tricky plot point to ignore, but it shouldn’t take away from the actor’s portrayal of the legendaryStar Trekcharacter. Pine puts his own spin on Kirk, but also folds elements of Shatner’s performance into his own.Pine’s overall demeanor and the pattern of his speech have clearly been influenced by the original Captain Kirk, but there are more than enough deviations to separate the two versions.
Chris Pine Was Great, But The Kirk Actor Star Trek Turned Down Would’ve Been Amazing Too
This fan-favorite Marvel actor was almost cast as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek (2009), but ultimately lost the role to Chris Pine.
While it could be argued that Pine should have followed more closely in the footsteps of Shatner, it actually wouldn’t make any sense for both Kirks to act in exactly the same way.Shatner’s Kirk was raised in the Prime Universe, whereas Pine’s grew up in the Kelvin Timeline. Therefore, both men had different experiences throughout their lives that shaped them into the men they eventually became. That being said, the fact they both become the captain ofStar Trek’s most famous ship proves that enough shared traits remained intact.
Star Trek
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J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
