When news spread that the original “Star Trek” crew was being recast in a full-length reboot, practically everyone was rumored to be getting beamed up by the Enterprise. Some stars were gunning for roles, like Karl Urban when he actively pursued the gig of Dr. Henry McCoy. In the case of the legendary Captain Kirk, however, many names were being considered before Chris Pine received the final call.
When news broke that J.J. Abrams was set to revive the franchise, names like Matt Damon, Chris Pratt, and Mark Wahlberg were rumored to take on the role of James T. Kirk. However, one star who almost wore the iconic gold shirt was Marvel legend and former Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan, who still seems a bit sore about missing out, even years later. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stan shared how far he went to mimic William Shatner’s beloved character.
“Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams was one of the first things that I got very close to,” he confessed. “I was really close, and I had a screen test with him at Paramount Studios, and my manager had me do a separate photoshoot where I would try and replicate all of these William Shatner pictures just to send to [J.J.] to see how much I look like him and stuff. Didn’t get it.” Besides Pratt and Stan, another MCU icon tried for Kirk, but ended up with a different “Star Trek” role altogether.
Sebastian Stan lost Kirk, but Chris Hemsworth got to be his father
In what is arguably one of the most memorable sequences in the entire Kelvin timeline trilogy of “Star Trek” movies, a young Chris Hemsworth plays George Kirk, the father of James T. Kirk, who sacrifices himself to save his family and the crew of the U.S.S. Kelvin. While it’s notably a great performance from Hemsworth before he became known for lugging a hammer around on the big screen as Thor, the actor revealed that he only got the role after missing out on playing Jim Kirk.
In 2018, Hemsworth recalled trying to land the role, but a height issue stopped him in his tracks. “I’d already done my first movie here, ‘Ca$h,’ a little independent film. I later auditioned for Kirk, James T. Kirk, but that was very early in the process, and I didn’t get it,” Hemsworth explained to More Content Now. “Then, J.J. was trying to find someone for the role of the father, and he remembered someone who looked similar to Chris Pine. He said, ‘Remember that guy who came in that was too tall? Who was that guy?'”
While he didn’t stay for long, his role in those “Star Trek” movies made a lasting impact, so much so that Abrams even considered making a new film with Kirk Sr. and Jr. reunited through time travel (via Vanity Fair), but nothing materialized. Come on, though, Paramount. If Spock can be brought back from the dead, the Kirks can get a father-son moment, too.
