‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Adds Paul Wesley as Kirk for Season 2 (PHOTO)

Paul Wesley as Kirk in Star Trek Strange New Worlds
Marni Grossman/Paramount+

The series premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is still about a month and a half away, but we already know when we’ll be seeing James T. Kirk.

Paramount+ has announced that Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) has been cast in the iconic role for Season 2 of the Star Trek series. The character was first introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series and played by William Shatner. Check out a first look at Wesley as Kirk above.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a statement.

As Star Trek fans know, Kirk and Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck) do go on to become close friends. Spock’s sister, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) even seemed to be alluding to their friendship in her goodbye before Discovery headed to the future: “There is a whole galaxy out there, full of people who will reach for you. You have to let them. Find that person who seems farthest from you and reach for them. Reach for them. Let them guide you.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently in production on Season 2 in Toronto. The series, starring fan-favorites from Discovery Season 2 Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One, is based on the years Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Series Premiere, Thursday, May 5, Paramount+