March 15 (UPI) — The Vampire Diaries Paul Wesley will play Captain James T. Kirk in season 2 of the Paramount + series Star Trek: Strange New Worldsthe streaming service announced on Tuesday.
The iconic character was first introduced on Star Trek: The Original Series and was portrayed by William Shatner. Chris Pine played the same role in the JJ Abrams reboot star trek movies.
“Paul is an accomplished actor, a stunning presence and a welcome key addition to the series,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he’s been a lifelong Star Trek fan and we’re excited about his portrayal of this iconic role.”
The news comes ahead of the series premiere scheduled for May 5. The last star trek the spin-off was renewed for a second season in January, with that season already in production in Toronto.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will travel back in time to follow Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) at the helm of the USS Enterprise.
Several actors are set to reprise their roles as Star Trek: DiscoveryThe second season of , which took place around the same time, starred Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock.
The series’ first season will focus on the trio before Captain Kirk boards the USS Enterprise, as the group explores new worlds around the galaxy.
