It’s Star Trek day, everyone! September 8th marks 53 years to the day that the original 1966 sci-fi series from the mind of Gene Roddenberry first arrived on our screens, kicking off an immortal franchise in the process. Fans are naturally flocking to social media today to celebrate the anniversary of the day the journey began and one of those of is James Tiberius Kirk himself, William Shatner.
The TOS star took to Twitter to share a short birthday message on Trek‘s 53rd anniversary. Along with that, he posted a snap from the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, featuring himself as Kirk in the captain’s chair as ever.
Happy Anniversary @StarTrek (1966-2019) pic.twitter.com/wzNIuMVMcG
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) September 8, 2019
53 isn’t a particularly notable anniversary, but it’s worth celebrating as Star Trek is arguably in much better shape than it was back in 2016 when it reached its 50th birthday. Though the movie series is currently in limbo, Trek is thriving on its natural home of TV. There’s Star Trek: Discovery and anthology series Short Treks already on the air, with several more series in the works, too. That includes two animated shows, a Section 31 spinoff and, most notably, a Picard series which marks the comeback of Sir Patrick Stewart for the first time since 2002.
And, with all these shows in the works, could there be room for Shatner himself to return as Kirk? Obviously, there’s a pretty big roadblock to this as the character died back in Star Trek: Generations. However, presuming the writers can find a way around that, the star is open to returning to his most iconic role once more. Oh, and if Quentin Tarantino could put him in his upcoming R-rated Trek movie, he’d love that, too.
As it’s Star Trek Day though, let us know your favorite parts of the franchise, be it favorite captain, movie, TV show, etc., in the comments section down below