Paul Wesley played a few different versions of Kirk before settling in as Lieutenant Kirk. Wesley's Kirk is the younger version of the same Kirk embodied by William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series. When audiences met Captain Kirk in 1966, he was already the confident and capable Captain of the Enterprise. How Kirk earned the center seat was only fleetingly referenced, and it wouldn't be until J.J. Abrams' Star Trek in 2009 that audiences saw Captain Kirk's origin.
However, Star Trek (2009) was set in the alternate Kelvin Timeline, and Chris Pine's Captain Kirk was a different person living in a different reality. In Star Trek's Prime Timeline, James T. Kirk's ascent to become Captain of the Enterprise hasn't been fully told. By bringing Kirk aboard Captain Pike's starship, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is telling Kirk's rise to Captaincy in a better way than how J.J. Abrams' movie blazed through that same story.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Gradually Making Kirk Captain
Kirk Will Earn The Enterprise's Center Seat
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3's trailer hints that Kirk's education in starship command will continue, with Jim taking a stint on the bridge of the USS Enterprise during a crisis. Audiences have not seen how Kirk fares as the USS Farragut's Number One, but the Starship Enterprise is an entirely different beast as the flagship of the United Federation of Planets. Captain Pike also personally mentors Kirk about starship command, telling Jim, "The decisions you make in that chair... They are yours to make, and yours to live with."
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is properly charting Jim's ultimate rise to become Captain Kirk.
How long Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will run on Paramount+ after season 4, which is in production now, isn't known. However, Lieutenant Kirk's step-by-step process of succeeding Pike as Captain of the Enterprise will continue towards the probable endgame of Kirk formally becoming Captain himself. Logically, a career path to Starfleet Captain would take years, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is properly charting Jim's ultimate rise to become Captain Kirk as one of the series' numerous ongoing storylines.
J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Rushed Through Kirk Becoming Captain Of The Enterprise
Kirk Went From Cadet To Captain In One Movie
Lieutenant Kirk's slow-burn story in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the polar opposite of how J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) depicted the Kelvin Timeline's James T. Kirk becoming Captain of the Enterprise. In the alternate Kelvin timeline, Kirk enlisted in Starfleet Academy on a dare, and Cadet Kirk was nearly drummed out for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test. Kirk stowed away on the USS Enterprise during Nero's (Eric Bana) attack on Vulcan, and Jim's roller-coaster rise to the Captain's chair is truly mind-boggling.
Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) appointed Cadet Kirk as First Officer to acting Captain Spock (Zachary Quinto), but the Vulcan quickly kicked Kirk out of the Starship Enterprise for insubordination and attempted mutiny. Kirk returned to the Enterprise and took command after exposing Spock as emotionally compromised. Working together, Kirk and Spock led the Enterprise to destroy Nero and save the Earth. Kirk's reward was being named Captain of the Enterprise by the injured Admiral Pike.
Star Trek (2009) is a wildly entertaining thrill ride of a movie, but to chart the logic of Kirk's incredible career trajectory could induce madness. Kirk becoming Captain in the course of a single film movie was fun to watch, but utterly bewildering nonetheless. While Kirk's heroism in saving the Earth can't be questioned, the rationale for Starfleet to appoint Jim as Captain of the Federation's flagship when he was merely a cadet days before can. However, Star Trek Into Darkness did address Kirk's deficiencies as Captain.
Paul Wesley’s Kirk Won’t Make The Biggest Mistake J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Made With Chris Pine
Kirk Will Be Ready To Be Captain When The Time Comes
Captain Kirk matured and proved to be a better commander in Star Trek Beyond, although that film began with Kirk ready to walk away from the Starship Enterprise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 looks to be audiences' first look at how capable Lieutenant Kirk is as an acting starship captain. Based on Kirk's previous appearances in Strange New Worlds, however, Jim already shows more wisdom and maturity than his Kelvin timeline counterpart. Kirk was a patient and understanding friend who helped Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) through a crisis in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation." Kirk also listened to Number One's advice about command in Star Trek's first-ever musical episode.
Kirk becoming Captain at warp speed in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek made for an exciting movie, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds depicting the process of James T. Kirk learning how to be a starship captain is better long-form storytelling. Kirk is not a series regular on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but his every appearance is another step towards his first, best destiny as Captain of the Enterprise. When Captain Kirk does take over for Captain Pike, there will be no doubt that Jim has earned and deserves it.
