Star Trek icon William Shatner is officially going to space and fans have a lot to say about it! Shatner (90) has been tapped by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space flight company, to a crew member on the next commercial space flight the company does. Shatner will be joined on the space flight by Blue Origin’s VP of mission and flight operations, Audrey Powers, as well as Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. It’s a clear PR stunt for Blue Origin, but also something that will be very fulfilling for Shatner, and his legions of fans. Sounds like a win-win.
Videos by ComicBook.com
When speaking about his upcoming trip to space, Wiliam Shatner said: “I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”
William Shatner’s Blue Origin space flight is planned for October 12th. A live webcast of the mission will be broadcast starting at 8am ET.
Check out all the happy congratulations William Shatner is getting from Stark Trek fans.
There Is Still Good News
*sees William Shatner trending*
— Kel (@fuckerydejour) October 4, 2021
Is he still alive?!
*checks*
Okay, good —he’s just going to FUCKING SPACE! 🚀🤯#whateven2021 pic.twitter.com/dreMfdNqUp
This is just a nice reminder that we can see a celebrity’s name trending on social media and have it turn out to be for a totally good reason.
Say The Line!
what i really want to know is will @WilliamShatner say "beam me up, scotty" when the rocket takes off into space?
— margeaux sippell (@MargeauxSippell) October 4, 2021
William Shatner may want a ride to space, but Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin, and millions of fans need him to pay back that ticket in a simple catchphrase line.
Need That Invisible Plane
Congrats, @WilliamShatner! If you really gets to go to space, I hope I can really figure out how to get an invisible plane. https://t.co/iXonJyNbPA
— Lynda Carter (@RealLyndaCarter) October 4, 2021
Wonder Woman TV icon Lynda Carter now feels the pressure to come flying through in an actual invisible jet.
The Shatner Challenge
@WilliamShatner is going to space? My man! I guess this means I have to become a marine biologist.
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) October 4, 2021
Now that Shatner is going to space, a lot of other famous character actors are feeling the pressure of #TheShatnerChallenge (we just made that up) to step up and actually live the characters they played.
First up: Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander (George Costanza) is on a mission to become an actual marine biologist!
The Leftovers
This is disturbing. I played harmonica on the William Shatner record and now he is being shot out into space.
— John Lurie (@lurie_john) October 4, 2021
I also played harmonica with Mississippi Fred McDowell and he was shot out into space.
Coincidence? Fucking Hardly.
Artist John Lurie seems to be associated with a lot of people who seem to want to get off of this planet. Is Lurie (and the rest of us) on the Leftovers list?
This Universe Is Parody
The fact that SNL aired a Star Trek parody with Blue Origin the day before William Shatner was announced to be flying on Blue Origin is proof that the universe is beyond parody at this point
— June 🏳️🌈 (@June_space_) October 4, 2021
In case you didn’t know: Saturday Night Live aired a skit this past weekend, joking about how Jeff Bezos was trying to live out his boyhood Star Trek dreams through Blue Origin. The Shatner news doesn’t do much to prove that wrong.
Rocket Man
So now I can say something. Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a “rocket man!” 😝🤣 https://t.co/B2jFeXrr6L
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 4, 2021
William Shatner finally revealed the news about his space flight himself – along with a reference to Elton John’s “Rocket Man” because… of course he would.
