Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 6 - “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail"Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 fulfilled James T. Kirk’s (Paul Wesley) promise as the youngest starship captain, but Chris Pine’s version of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009) still has him beat. Directed by Valerie Weiss and written by Bill Wolkoff and David Reed,Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6 is a milestone chapter in Captain Kirk’s Prime timeline canon.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6 is the origin story of how the Prime Universe Kirk became captain. In 2009,J.J. Abrams’Star Trekpresented a wildly different origin story for Captain Kirk. In Abrams' alternate Kelvin timeline, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) rocketed from Starfleet cadet to Captain of the USS Enterprise by the end of the blockbuster film.
InStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, Lieutenant Commander James T. Kirk becomes acting Captain of the USS Farragut. Surrounded by members of his future USS Enterprise crew, including Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), Kirk overcame his self-doubt to defeat mysterious Scavengers and rescue the Starship Enterprise.
How Old Is Kirk When He Becomes Captain In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?
Acting Captain Kirk is 28 years old inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” Jim Kirk was born in Iowa in 2233.Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6 takes place in 2261, which makes Jim under thirty years old during his fateful first chance to captain a starship.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2 established that then-Lieutenant Kirk was the youngest First Officer in Starfleet when he was promoted to the USS Farragut’s Number One. Jim beat the previous record set by his father, Lieutenant George Kirk, to the chagrin of James' older brother, Lieutenant Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte).
Lieutenant George Kirk was played by Chris Hemsworth in J.J. Abrams' Star Trekbefore he was cast as Marvel Studios' Thor.
However, Kirk in the Prime timeline still falls short of the youngest captain record set by Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek. In the Kelvin timeline, Jim, also born in 2233, becameCaptain of the Enterpriseat only 25 years old.Star Trek(2009)’s main story happens in 2258, three years before Kirk becomes acting Captain of the Farragut inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' Prime timeline.
How Old Kirk Will Be When He Becomes Captain Of The Enterprise
Star Trek: Strange New Worldswill end in season 5, and the overall plan is to depict how James T. Kirk takes over as Captain of the Enterprise from Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), which is never-before seen inStar Trek’s Prime timeline. Kirk becoming the Enterprise’s Captain takes place in 2265, which means Jim Kirk will be 32.
Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk is the younger version of the Captain Kirk played by William Shatner.
Kirk will still set the record as Starfleet’s youngest starship captain when he assumes command of the USS Enterprise in 2265. Yet Jim in the Prime timeline will inevitably fall 7 years short of his Kelvin timeline Captain Kirk counterpart. Chris Pine’s Kirk also becomes Captain of the Enterprise automatically, while Paul Wesley’s Kirk is only acting Captain of the USS Farragut and waits 4 more years for the Enterprise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers hope to spin off into a new series about Kirk’s first year as Captain of the Enterprise dubbedStar Trek: Year One. It’s unlikely that Paul Wesley’s Captain Kirk will lose the Enterprise a year after taking command, like what briefly happened to Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk inStar Trek Into Darkness.
