To many, William Shatner's Captain James Tiberius Kirk is the face of the Star Trek franchise. On Thursday night the actor said he'd be "open" to playing the role again, but he's not confident it'll ever happen.
Shatner, 85, spoke to reporters at the Saturn Awards in Los Angeles, and confirmed that he will not appear in "Star Trek Beyond," according to the Belfast Telegraph.
But when asked about future movies, the actor was willing.
"We'd all be open to it, but it's not going to happen," he said. ""The fans would love to see it. Have them write to ['Star Trek Beyond' producer] J.J. Abrams at Paramount Studios."
Actor Chris Pine, who's taken over the Kirk role in the latest series of films, spoke to SFX Magazine last week about the two Kirks somehow working together. He didn't sound positive.
"It would just become about that," Pine said. "The movie can't become about that. The movie has to be about whatever story we're trying to tell. It'd be fun, it'd be kitschy, it'd be a great piece for you guys to talk about, and for late-night TV. But above and beyond that, I don't know what it serves for our storytelling purposes, you know?"