As Star Trek: Strange New Worlds approaches the final stretch of its five-year mission, one of its stars is already dreaming about what comes next. Paul Wesley, who plays a younger James T. Kirk on the Paramount+ series, has revealed that he and co-star Ethan Peck (Spock) have talked about spinning off into their own show. But there's just one problem: the phone hasn't rung yet.
Speaking at the FanX Comic Convention in Indianapolis during a The Vampire Diaries panel moderated by Collider's Maggie Lovitt, Wesley shared his enthusiasm for a potential Kirk and Spock series. 'We always talk about how we'd love to do a spin-off, and if they, if we get the phone call, we'll do it. But we haven't got the phone call yet,' he said, adding with a laugh that Paramount might have 'lost [his] phone number.'
The actor, who also starred in The Vampire Diaries, expressed gratitude to the Star Trek fandom for welcoming him into the franchise. His friend and former co-star Ian Somerhalder, who was also at the panel, jokingly questioned whether the visitors to Wesley's convention table were evenly split between Trekkies and Vampire Diaries fans. Wesley's recent casting news—Kai Murakami as Sulu and Thomas Jane as Bones—completes the Star Trek: The Original Series core crew, fueling speculation that a spin-off could be in the works.
However, the Star Trek franchise is currently in a state of flux as Paramount navigates a series of mergers. Two seasons of Strange New Worlds and one season of Starfleet Academy are still set to air, but both series have been canceled, with no replacements announced. Wesley remains optimistic, urging fans to tune into the upcoming fourth season of Strange New Worlds, which premieres on his birthday, July 23, exclusively on Paramount+.
Wesley's Kirk is not yet the confident commander William Shatner made famous. Instead, he's a younger officer learning the ropes of Starfleet. His first encounter with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) occurs in an alternate future during a conflict with the Romulans in the show's first-season finale. Another version of Kirk, from a dystopian alternate timeline, later teams up with La'An Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) to save her ancestor, the genetically altered tyrant Khan Noonien-Singh, from assassination in 21st-century Toronto. The crew finally meets the 'real' Kirk as first officer of the USS Farragut, and he eventually takes his first command after the Farragut's captain is injured, meeting and befriending Spock along the way.
Beyond the final frontier, Wesley is set to appear in the upcoming third season of The Buccaneers, Apple TV's adaptation of Edith Wharton's unfinished novel about young American women seeking love in Europe. He's also pitched an animated Vampire Diaries revival, which would reunite him with Somerhalder as the Salvatore brothers. Paul Wesley Pitches Animated 'Vampire Diaries' Revival for Damon and Stefan
For now, Wesley is focused on the final season of Strange New Worlds, which promises to deliver more of the classic Star Trek adventure fans love. Whether a Kirk and Spock spin-off materializes remains to be seen, but Wesley and Peck are ready to answer the call. As the franchise navigates uncertain waters, one thing is clear: the Star Trek universe is far from finished exploring new worlds.
Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts July 23 on Paramount+. Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for future updates.
