Star Trek Into Darkness Will Not Include William Shatner

During his one-man show Shatner's World: We Just Live in It, original Star Trek star William Shatner officially denied any involvement with J.J. Abrams's upcoming sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, which stars Chris Pine as Captain Kirk. Leonard Nimoy, the original Mr. Spock, appeared in Abrams's Star Trek, revealed to have survived the universe's reboot through the machinations of the film's villain; ever since then, it's been speculated that Shatner might also reappear as the original Captain Kirk, although nobody's totally clear as to exactly how that might play out. "I don't think that J.J. Abrams knows what to do with me," Shatner told his audience according to multiple reports, chalking it up to "Age and change in body shape." Following the first movie, though, it seemed that there was almost a chance to have seen Kirk Prime and Spock Prime on the screen together one more time, by way of a holographic presentation sent by Kirk to his old friend. Trek Movie reportedly found and reprinted those script pages a while back, which included an emotional, movie-ending monologue by Kirk Prime that played at his relationship with Spock and urged his old friend back into action:

"Who's to say we can't go one more round? By the last tally, only twenty five percent of the galaxy's been chartered…I'd call that negligent. Criminal even — an invitation. You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny… if that's true, then yours is to be by my side. If there's any true logic to the universe… we'll end up on that bridge again someday. "Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the journey itself… is home."