Captain James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) behaves differently in Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Balance of Terror." Kirk ed Pike's mission as Captain of the USS Farragut, and his demeanor was markedly different from the Kirk Star Trek fans are familiar with.
Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is famed for rushing in where angels fear to tread. Kirk is arguably the greatest Star Trek movies distilled Kirk's bravado into a younger, even more daring version played by Chris Pine, who rocketed up the ranks to become Captain of the Enterprise at age 25.
Not Being Captain Of The Enterprise Changed Kirk In Strange New Worlds
The Kirk who is Captain of the Farragut in Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale seemed to be more subdued. Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk lacked the trademark swagger and machismo of Shatner and Pine's Kirk. Jim's older brother Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte) described him as "a whole deck" of wild cards, but Wesley's Kirk still didn't convey the bullish sense of authority the other incarnations of Kirk displayed, even though Jim was right about the Romulans whereas Pike badly misjudged them. The difference between Wesley's Kirk and Shatner's (and Pine's) may just be the Enterprise and Kirk not being its Captain. Strange New Worlds is the first and only depiction of Kirk as Captain of a different ship besides the Enterprise in Star Trek.
In "A Quality of Mercy," Captain PIke changed his fate and was never horribly disfigured in a delta ray accident, thus Chris remained Captain of the Enterprise. In this reality, Kirk never ascended to what Strange New Worlds has retconned as the flagship of the United Federation of Planets, and so he doesn't have those bragging rights. He also has a different crew on the Farragut, with La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong) likely his First Officer instead of Spock (Ethan Peck). The different ship and different personnel surrounding him seems to have changed Captain Kirk, tempering his famed bravado. Perhaps the Enterprise itself is the key ingredient that makes Kirk the Captain fans know best.
Kirk Will Be Different In Strange New Worlds Season 2
Fan reaction to Captain Kirk in Strange New Worlds' finale was mixed, in part because of the very different way Paul Wesley played him as opposed to William Shatner and Chris Pine. But this may be a concoction of the actor's performance and the fact that this as a different Kirk as Captain of the Farragut who was changed by the altered timeline. Regardless, the Captain Kirk in "A Quality of Mercy" won't be the same version of Kirk Paul Wesley will play in Strange New Worlds season 2 because that alternate "Balance of Terror" reality won't come to be.
Paul Wesley will play Lt. James T. Kirk in Strange New Worlds season 2, a junior officer who is serving on the USS Farragut. But this Kirk is the younger version of William Shatner's Captain in the Prime Timeline, and he is destined to command the USS Enterprise. "A Quality of Mercy" set this up by Captain Pike becoming so interested in Kirk that he will potentially groom him to be his replacement. The Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale was a one-off appearance, and it was a fascinating glimpse at a Jim Kirk who lacks the bravado of being Captain of the Enterprise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.