William Shatner Says No New ‘Star Trek’ Series Match Original
Star Trek icon William Shatner dismissed all recent series based on the original show, saying creator Gene Roddenberry would be unhappy with them too.
After starring as Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek from 1966 to 1969, Shatner returned for the first in a series of movies 10 years later. These films led to the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise; and more recently, Discovery, Picard and Strange New Worlds, plus additional movies and spinoffs.
Asked during his Friday (July 22) appearance at San Diego's Comic Con if any of the recent crop matched the original, Shatner replied, "None of them," adding, "I got to know Gene Roddenberry in three years fairly well. He'd be turning in his grave at some of this stuff."
The 91-year-old actor also discussed the fan-funded documentary that’s being made about his life, noting that it was time to take part in such a project because he could pass at any moment. "When I die, autographs are gonna sell like crazy," he added. "Imagine everyone's good fortune if I died right here!"
Shatner also found time to take a swipe at Star Trek's biggest rival, Star Wars, although he reserved praise for one of its original stars. "Fuck Star Wars – but not Mark Hamill," he said.
Turning to his real-life trip into space last year, Shatner recalled, "I vowed that every moment that I spent in space would not be playing around in weightlessness, but looking out the window and trying to get an impression." He stressed the importance of preserving the Earth's environment, adding, "This is the only fucking planet we've got."
This sentiment was echoed in a clip from the upcoming documentary, in which Shatner said, "We need to look at the miracle of what we’re living in."