William Shatner, 95, addresses ‘rumour mill’ about ‘return' to iconic Star Trek character Captain Kirk

William Shatner has addressed if he would 'return' to the iconic role of Captain Kirk in Star Trek.

The US actor, now 95, appeared on screens when Star Trek launched back in 1966, introducing the crew of the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (originally played by James Doohan), Lt Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and many other characters to the world.

Since then, it has become a cult classic and has gone on to produce numerous TV series and films.

This is including shows such as The Next Generation, which starred Sir Patrick, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, which starred Kate Mulgrew, and films across three different timelines.

William Shatner starred as Captain James T. Kirk in seven of the Star Trek feature films. He led the first six movies alongside the original television series cast and then returned for a final transitional appearance in the seventh instalment Star Trek Generations in 1994.

But now the veteran actor has acknowledged rumours about his return to the franchise. Currently, Paul Wesley is playing the role of Captain Kirk streaming series spin off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

But because Captain Kirk died in the 1994 film, any potential return has sparked heavy industry speculation.

As per TrekMovie, it was recently revealed by executive producer Henry Alonso Myers that the creators of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had tried to get Shatner to return every single season.

In a statement on X, Shatner addressed the speculation about the famed character, as he penned: "In order to put a stop to the rumour mill before it starts producing even more fiction than Star Trek ever did, let me say this.

"If someone came up with a meaningful way to bring Captain Kirk back to life, and gave him something genuinely interesting to do that added to the beauty and spirit of Star Trek, I would be delighted to consider it. But that has never come up.

"I love Star Trek just as much as all of you folks do. Kirk has been an extraordinary part of my life, and I would never want to bring him back simply for the sake of bringing him back.

"So, until someone comes knocking with an idea worthy of Kirk... I wait. For them. Or for eternity."