Over the weekend we, and a number of other sites, picked up on a curious comment Jennifer Morrison made at a Calgary Expo panel. The actress who played Winona Kirk, mother of James T. Kirk, suggested the character of George Kirk (played by Chris Hemsworth) actually survived his heroic sacrifice to save the crew of the Kelvin in 2009’s Star Trek. As Chris Hemsworth is set to return for the ‘Star Trek 4,’ project which just picked up a director, this could have offered a clue about the upcoming movie.
However, it turns out Morrison’s comment was not based on any inside info. On Instagram she clarified saying:
I have no idea what they are planning for the next Star Trek. I’ve never talked to anyone involved with the project. I’m excited to watch and see how it turns out just as much as all the other fans.
As for why she corrected moderator Garrett Wang at Calgary Expo, and suggested that George Kirk didn’t die when he rammed the USS Kelvin into the Narada in Star Trek, the actress explains that was just an inside joke between herself and a fan. From her Instagram post:
A fan had a theoretical convo at my signing table about how they thought Chris Hemsworth’s character was still alive. I was jokingly referencing a convo with a fan when I did the interview in Calgary.
George Kirk is still dead, but coming back
So, there you have it. George Kirk is back to being dead following the events of the opening scene of the 2009 Star Trek movie. However, that still leaves open how “Star Trek 4,” will bring the character back. While an easy solution could have the film set in multiple time periods, all indications are that the film will involve Hemsworth’s George Kirk and Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk interacting with each other. The original official announcement about the film noted “Captain Kirk will cross paths with a man he never had a chance to meet, but whose legacy has haunted him since the day he was born: his father.” And the latest report from Variety added “a key plot point sees Pine’s character running into his father (Hemsworth) in a time travel ploy.”
Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk in 2009’s Star Trek, setting a collision course with the Narada
Of course, time travel is nothing new in Star Trek and has been used in multiple Trek feature films. In fact, in 2009’s Star Trek it was Nero traveling through time via red matter in the Narada and attacking the USS Kelvin which triggered the creation alternative universe of three J.J. Abrams-produced Trek films, hence the name of “Kelvin-verse.” If time travel is the mechanism involved for ‘Star Trek 4,’ it still leaves the question of which direction: does George Kirk jump forward to Jim Kirk’s time, or vice-versa?
Narada emerges back in time, kicking off an alternative universe
Stay glued to TrekMovie.com for all news, whispers and more about the future of Star Trek movies. You can keep tabs on all updates on the next movie via our Star Trek XIV category.
I’m really excited about this potential movie, but it always feels like one step forward and two steps back. This film has been “announced” since the summer of 2016 and yet there’s been no hard news since then except a director (has she actually been hired, or is she just in negotiations?). Until I read about a release date, and more importantly a production timeline, I’m not taking any news about the project seriously.
What about it excites you?
No great surprise. Ms. Morrison was just giving her audience the latest variation on “It’s science fiction, so anything is possible” (the go-to phrase for people who don’t actually know much about science fiction), for lack of anything else to say. I can almost guarantee that she knows no more about the potential plot of a fourth film, or even if she’ll be asked to participate, than any of the people who post here.
Isn’t that what she said???
Pretty much, yes. I was just noting that I’d thought as much when I read the original story.
Michael It’s science fiction, so anything is possible” (the go-to phrase for people who don’t actually know much about science fiction
Okay, how about “It’s STAR TREK, so anything is possible”
LOL
Well, so nothing to see here…
I’m rather worried about the potential Avengers 4 title “Avengers Forever”… I was hoping this fourth KT movie would be “Star Trek Forever”… Guardian of Forever included… I guess, both movies are the fourth part, so one will be called that way.
Well we had “Darkness” and “Beyond” so if we’re ripping off Batman, maybe “Star Trek Rises” or “A Lonely Place to Star Trek” or, since George returns, “A Star Trek Down Memory Lane”
“A Star Trek Down Memory Lane.” Oh, man. Liking that one.
I kinda like ‘Star Trek: Warp Speed Forever’ or ‘Star Trek: Journey Into Infinity’
On a side note, we could have’Star Trek Trump: Make The Federation Great Again’
@SW — Bad Robot doesn’t do colons.
They should just call it Live Long and Prosper, or Boldly Go, or some other Trekky title without “Star Trek” in the name. I’d appreciate that, at least.
Tried that with “Enterprise” – didn’t catch. Literally. No one knew it was Star Trek in the first 2 seasons until they called it “Star Trek: Enterprise” then people were like “Wait, there’s a Star Trek on TV and we’re missing it?”
Then they watched it….
Then most of them said, “Nope. Not missing anything.”
They need Star Trek in the title… not everyone’s going to get the references…
Actually I’m pretty sure everyone knew it was Star Trek it’s just that nobody particularly cared for the show and didn’t tune in. Like, did you know anyone who didn’t know it was Star Trek? I uhh certainly didn’t
albatrosity,
Re: everyone knew it was Star Trek
Your certainty aside, there’s no other way to interpret Paramount’s reversing their initial decision to leave STAR TREK out of the title but as a marketing decision based on the fact that Paramount came to believe not everyone could tell the show was part of their STAR TREK brand.
With JJ at the helm, it’d be “Enterprise Rises [from clouds, waves, or other]”
lol Okay, Trekmovie, time to shake some real news loose from the Discovery production that is happening. Work those sources!!
Or how about an interview with Nick Meyer where you can ask him what his status is, since it seems to be a closely held secret that no one wants to talk about ;-)
Meyer teased the idea of a Trek project long ago. Are there any new updates?
No one knows. Apparently no one can ask him either.
There’s been zero updates. I think he bugged out after Brian Fuller was forced out.
Very likely.
I agree but its just amusing that there have been updates about other people but its like Meyer fell off the face of the earth.
a Trek project could be anything, even animated.
The Nick Meyer stuff is rumor until he officially says other wise.
Personally I think this Nick Meyer project never existed, it was just a red herring to throw the Trekkies off guard, to get them talking.
Well it worked, although I’m happy it may not have been real because it sounded bad.
As I recall, Meyer made a throw away reference to working on another project. That was it. Everything else was mere speculation.
I think it was those youtube whiners that said the project was a Khan series. The same guys that ripped Discovery and were wrong about everything.
Wasn’t he supposed to be working on a 4K blu-ray for TWOK? I read that in an interview somewhere. I have a feeling that’s what the “project” was.
I wanna see how they’re going to deal with an 10 years older C.Helms.
That beard tho
Star Trek – Jumanji…
Asgardians age much slower.
Plot of Trek 14 is that Jim Kirk learns his dad is an Asgardian and survived the Narada explosion floating in space for 35 years until rediscovered, he starts raving about some dude named Thanos
Maybe George K. was in Klingon prison all this time. It ages a person.
This is the kind of thing that always leaves the fanboy theorists looking foolish.
It makes the whiners who complain when fans speculate look really really stupid actually.
Let’s just figure that half of the rumors we hear are just BS because somebody heard somebody say something about something that is true, maybe
I want to listen to everything you know about trilithium.
This is my personal opinion but if the new film really involves time travel I think this is one plot aspect that Trek has relied on too much. It has in a way became a get out of jail free card for anyone making a new Trek film. Can’t they come up with original ideas anymore? It is not that I don’t like this trope, but I just think it has been used a little too much. We’ve had numerous TV episodes, 3 feature films with time travel plots.
Yeah but its an easy hook. Those films and TV shows are among the most popular.
I don’t know, Generations was reviled. I suppose it’s still flying around out there, unguarded, so there’s nothing our brave crew from turning up pretty much anywhere…..
With JJ re booting Star Trek and bringing us into the Kelvin verse which has not been that successful, ST4 with Chris Hemsworth could be a way of bringing ST back into the prime universe and then have Tarantino carry on in the prime universe with ST5 and also with the same actors. Just a thought.
I am just saying since Voyagers conclusion when was the last time Star Trek really went out to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new civilizations?, I thought this was Star Trek mission statement, now it seems like we are just turning back and back. Why can’t they do anything in the future, why can’t they create new original aliens, new species? I want to get that feeling of adventure back into Trek, to go out on an unknown adventure, to meet something truly alien. I guess these ideas don’t put butts in the seats anymore. I also think its partly because creativity and originality in this era is dead in the water.
It is for the shows but not the films.
Yeah, the movies haven’t really done this concept too except for maybe briefly in the first Motion Picture. Here is the trouble though, the shows are not doing it as well, or perhaps I should say the show that is currently airing. Perhaps it will change in the coming seasons but I still think in the modern age exploration is not something people are really interested anymore. This is sad.
Oh I agree. Discovery is a bit different in how they view their role as a streaming property. But they could absolutely do a more exploration based show.
The films have always needed to hook people and do a faster, more action oriented plot.
TMP was an exception (and is really good). TVH is also an exception but would it have worked if we werent extremely emotionally invested in those characters?
TMP is still one of my favorite Trek movies of all time. I know people find it meandering and boring but I love it. I especially love the 20 minute Enterprise sequence, such a beautiful ship and Robert Wise milking every part of it on screen with Jerry Goldsmiths excellent score in the background. It showed how the Enterprise was also one of the main characters.
TMP is a fine piece of filmmaking. The Big-E never looked better, imo. You can really lose yourself in that movie.
If you’re a lover of milking every part of the screen with a view of a ship we all love, instead of the characters inside her.
TMP. A beautiful movie, visually [except the costumes, BOOORRRRING], but yes, meandering.
Those poor actors, having to stare raptly at a blue screen for 10 minutes at a time.
Bleah, pooh. I’ll take II, IV and VI any day. Even V.
I want to get that feeling of adventure back into Trek, to go out on an unknown adventure, to meet something truly alien.
Well, when we met redesigned Klingons in Disco, with their new emphasis on T’Kuvma and a near religious belief in him, people bitched about meeting Klingons that were “too alien”
Creativity and originality have nearly always sprung from something else, but I know what you mean. I feel like every pop song of the last 20 years is like every other pop song of the last 20 years. [Yet a pop song expert could quickly disabuse me of
that notion.] It just seems like they copy all the successful [audience favorite] hooks, so they’ll have a surefire hit.
I’d love to see more races like the Pahvans — and yet, one could compare them with the Organians.
I don’t mind Star Trek mining the “prominent/founder” races of aliens from the Federation. I love Andorians, Vulcans, and so on. Yes, even humans, although that trope is just worn. out. Humans in space. Give me a break ;^)
Generations wasnt time travel though. It just started in the TOS era and ended in the TNG era.
Time Travel Trope and Borg Trope
Two tropes I hope repair to Trope-ical islands in their retirement
It’s George Kirk’s Force Ghost.
Pretty clear the next Abrams rip off will be from the eternity episode where Kirk falls in love with the woman he must later allow to die in order to preserve the timeline of nazi Germany being defeated in WWII.
I bet Kirk meets his dad and tries to save him only to discover he’s created a dark mirror universe where his father has an eye patch and is evil so to preserve the timeline he has to let his dad kick the bucket.
And Harry Mudd brings George a fake eye
[Infinity War Rocket Raccoon reference]
George Kirk can’t go forward in time and end up in the Kelvin timeline, because while he’s still alive and not battling the Narada, that timeline doesn’t exist. The Narada and his death create the new timeline. So if he jumps forward in time, he would end up seeing the original William Shatner Kirk in all his glory.
@Mike F — no that’s not how Orci’s KU works.
Why do the JJ films stay so Small? Star Trek is not about Kirks Father.
They never leave the planet- can we explore one part of space in at least one episode?
Crashing in Beyond on another Earth Type planet doesn’t count.
Exactly my point. I want to see some exploration, new aliens, new planets. Have we lost all our interest in exploring the unknown as a species? Where is our adventure spirit? Apparently we live in an age were exploring space is “boring and unnecessary”. Everything has to be about characters now or time travel,just take the easy way out. You don’t have to create anything new or original. Waste of 100 million dollar budgets if you ask me.
I’m afraid this may reflect the inward-looking gaze of America right now. Look at our pi$$-poor NASA budget.
But never underestimate the importance of characters. STIII was made solely because fans wanted Spock back, and Paramount wanted Trek back, so … we got a fairly mediocre movie. Yet, characters are important to any novel, or dramatic narrative. We’ve all seen great character writing in Star Trek.
Trying to make Trek using a 100-million-dollar budget is ridiculous innit, because it ends up being too action-y with little emphasis on science in science fiction. Occasional character moments interspersed with running, fights, and ‘splosions.
That’s what Marvel movies are for, Paramount — not Star Trek. And Paramount, y’all have the Transformers movies for that c-rap.
Absolutely agree. And please, can the Enterprise be the more powerful ship for once, or at least on par with her opponent, and NOT get blown up or shredded or fall from the sky or self-destructed? The captain’s chair is barely warm in the KU.
If we must have one, it would be nice to see a pitched starship battle for once, not an overwhelming force shooting down the Enterprise. [wondering if JJ hates the Enterprise]
Yes! We need a red planet with styrofoam rocks that glitter!
I thought they came close to that stylistically on BEYOND.
Jon also knew nothing…