Chris Hemsworth Is Still Holding Out For Another J.J. Abrams Star Trek
Before he was Thor, Kevin in "Ghostbusters," or even himself in "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot," Chris Hemsworth played James Kirk's father, George Kirk, in J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" movie. It's a weird film to look back on now, so far as Hemsworth's screen time goes. He's only in it for 10 minutes before he dies, with George's heroic sacrifice of his life and space vessel, the USS Kelvin, giving the "Kelvin Timeline" its name in "Star Trek" lore. His death would probably come as an even greater shock to someone watching the film for the first time in 2022, assuming a famous face like Hemsworth would be sticking around much longer.
Right before the third film set in the Kelvin Timeline, "Star Trek Beyond," hit theaters in 2016, it was announced Hemsworth would be reprising his role as George Kirk for the sequel. The obvious question of how his character would return aside (something to do with time travel or alternate timelines, no doubt), one could see the logic in bringing Hemsworth back. Not only was he a much bigger name by that point, but he'd also wrung every drop of pathos he could get out of the prologue to Abrams' 2009 reboot. Plus, a setup where Chris Pine's James Kirk finally gets to meet his father sets the stage for all sorts of deep-felt emotional drama.
Ultimately, that untitled version of "Star Trek 4" never came to pass for reasons that include "Beyond" under-performing at the box office and, according to Hemsworth, his concerns about the quality of the script. However, in a video interview with Vanity Fair where he breaks down his career so far, the actor made it clear he's still open to taking a trip back to the "Star Trek" universe.
'I'd probably say: Yeah, let's go for it'
Earlier this year, at Paramount's Investors Day presentation, J.J. Abrams confirmed a new "Star Trek" film set in the Kelvin Timeline is once again moving forward. This current iteration of the project has "The Great" and "WandaVision" alum Matt Shakman attached to direct, with Chris Pine and most of the 2009 "Star Trek" cast in early talks to return. As for Chris Hemsworth? This version of the movie is based on a different script than the earlier one, so it's possible the George Kirk angle has been abandoned.
Otherwise, though, Hemsworth told Vanity Fair he's game:
"There was talk about me doing the film with Chris Pine at one point, the script was put together and then it fell apart. But if J.J. Abrams called me tomorrow and said: 'Chris Pine and I want to do it', I'd probably say: 'Yeah, let's go for it.'"
The actor went on to voice his appreciation for Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot, noting he got a callback from Kenneth Branagh for the first "Thor" movie not long after Abrams' film came out in theaters. "I do think it helped in many, many ways. I think J.J. Abrams and Kenneth had a conversation," he added.
Personally, at this stage in his acting career, I would prefer it if Hemsworth took a break from franchises after "Thor: Love and Thunder" and maybe focus more on stretching his wings as a character actor in the way he recently did with his role in Joseph Kosinski's sci-fi thriller "Spiderhead." All the same, I wouldn't begrudge him if he took the chance to play a bigger role in a "Star Trek" film, should the opportunity present itself.
The next "Star Trek" movie is scheduled to arrive on December 22, 2023.