Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunner Akiva Goldsman reveals that Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) has a season 2 love interest fans are already familiar with. Wesley plays the young version of the Kirk who will one day become Captain of the USS Enterprise, as played by William Shatner, in Star Trek: The Original Series and movies. Wesley's version of Kirk also appeared in Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale, but that was a Captain Kirk from a now-deleted alternate future timeline.
In an interview with SFX Magazine, as reported by TrekMovie, Akiva Goldsman gave generally spoiler-free details about Strange New Worlds season 2. But Goldsman did explain the significance of the young Lt. Kirk coming aboard the Starship Enterprise, and he revealed that Kirk is dating Carol Marcus in Strange New Worlds season 2. Check out the quote below:
What we’re dealing with is Lieutenant Kirk, First Officer Kirk. We’re not dealing with Captain Kirk, and there’s opportunity there. Paul Wesley is really this wonderful – to me – hybrid of Shatner’s Kirk and his own. That is, of course, serviced by this moment in the Kirk timeline where he’s dating Carol Marcus. So you’ll see…
How Carol Marcus Fits Into Kirk's Star Trek: TOS Timeline
Dr. Carol Marcus (BiBi Besch) was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a former flame of Admiral Jim Kirk. Carol was also the mother of David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), who was Kirk's adult son. At Carol's insistence, David was raised away from Kirk as she wanted him to take a path of science alongside her and not "gallivanting around the galaxy" with his father and Starfleet. Carol and David built the Genesis Device, which was meant to be revolutionary terraforming technology but was stolen and turned into a dreadful weapon by Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban). At the end of Star Trek II, Kirk reconciled with Carol and David, who was then tragically murdered by Klingons in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is set in 2285, about 25 years after Strange New Worlds season 2's timeframe, which is around 2259/2260. According to Akiva Goldsman, Lt. Kirk is dating Carol Marcus already in Strange New Worlds season 2, which logically tracks with Star Trek canon. Given David is in his mid-20s in Star Trek II, Paul Wesley's Lt. Kirk may already be or is about to become a father to David. Interestingly, Strange New Worlds season 2's trailer teased sparks between Kirk and Lt. La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). Of course, James T. Kirk is a notorious ladies' man, so it's not out of the question the future Captain of the Enterprise could potentially romance both La'an and Carol Marcus in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 premieres Thursday, June 15, on Paramount+.
Source: SFX Magazine, TrekMovie.com