The Vampire Diaries alum will play the iconic Captain James T. Kirk on Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence, and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/EPs Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan, and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”
Wesley is in the captain’s chair as Kirk has also been revealed by Paramount+ in his familiar yellow uniform in a first look photo. You can see it above.
Shatner originated the role in the original Star Trek series. (Chris Pine has also starred as Kirk in a number of recent Trek movies.)
Starring Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, who commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise before Kirk took over, Strange New Worlds premieres Thursday, May 5 on Paramount+.
Ethan Peck plays Science Officer Spock, with Rebecca Romijn as Number One. Those three characters first appeared in Star Trek: Discovery, which harkens back to the original Trek series.
In 2017, Wesley wrapped up a run of eight seasons on The Vampire Diaries, where he played vampire Stefan Salvatore. Tell Me a Story, 24 and Army Wives are among his other TV credits. The actor will also be appearing in Lifetime’s upcoming Flowers in the Attic: The Origin.
Paul Wesley took no time after the announcement was made to tweet about his delight at taking on the iconic role
I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.
Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the pic.twitter.com/U8GVD4ZemP— Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2022
