ROTTEN TOMATOES: "Star Trek XI" Casting Development: Who's In Line To Play Kirk, Spock, and McCoy?

"Star Trek XI" Casting Development: Who's In Line To Play Kirk, Spock, and McCoy?

by Jen Yamato | February 26, 2007

IGN Movies has been doing some snooping on behalf of all you Trekkies (and Trekkers) out there, and they know which three major stars are in talks to play the young Starfleet officers in "Star Trek XI"!

IGN's super scooper Stax has received confirmation from studio sources that the key actors currently in talks to play Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in the J.J. Abrams-helmed pic are...drumroll please…Matt Damon, Adrien Brody, and Gary Sinise, respectively. According to the report, the three actors are "the closest to being cast, with Damon's talks said to be further along than the rest."

Damon as Kirk, Brody as Spock, Sinise as McCoy...can you imagine it?

Damon has long been rumored to play the young Kirk, although the plot of "Star Trek XI" and even the very idea of it being a prequel are as-yet-unconfirmed speculations. Many believe the film will definitely pick up with familiar "Star Trek" characters during a pre-Enterprise, Starfleet academy time period. Director J.J. Abrams is being notoriously tight-lipped about plot details, but did reveal last month that a first draft of the script (by "Transformers" scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) was complete.

But that's not all! IGN also reports that a few other key characters may be filled out by familiar faces, including "Lost"'s Daniel Dae Kim (as Sulu) and "The Last King of Scotland"'s James McAvoy (employing his native Scottish accent in the role of -- who else? -- Scotty).

While a release date has yet to be announced, it is believed that "Star Trek XI" will hit theaters in 2008.

Source: IGN Movies

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(1-20 of 23 posts) | Reply

Thundaar writes:
on Feb 26 2007 06:34 PM

Seem like good choices. I especially like Sinise as McCoy - he seems perfect IMO. Brody is the one I am least confident in - although I think he is a good actor. Shoudl be interesting.

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reavus4983 writes:
on Feb 26 2007 07:03 PM

As much as I want Star Trek back and continuing, Shatner is Kirk and Kirk is Shatner, Nimoy is Spock and Spock is Nimoy, and Kelley is McCoy and McCoy is Kelley! It just won't be these characters without these actors.

This is in the same vein as if Harrison Ford didn't play Indiana Jones (not counting the TV show). Or what if Firefly was remade and Nathan Fillion wasn't Mal? and Adam Baldwin wasn't Jayne?!

I love Abrams for Lost and even MI3 but he would have to be a miracle worker to make me actually accept new actors as these characters. It'll just seem weird.

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Erroneous! writes:
on Feb 26 2007 07:33 PM

I am worried and excited about this.

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mojodaddy writes:
on Feb 26 2007 07:37 PM

Yeah I've seen a few Star Trek episodes, not a big fan, but it seems to me like the problem with Brody for Spock is that he's tooooo good of an actor. Vulcans are supposed to be dry and emotionless.

I heard someone somewhere suggest maybe Zachary Quinto? He plays Sylar in Heroes. He's a good actor but I think he could fit better. Damon and Sinise are good choices in my opinion. I don't know why so many people were unhappy with the notion of casting Damon to begin with.

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TomasSPAGHetti writes:
on Feb 26 2007 07:43 PM

Brody why? Because of his nose??? I dunno, he's a good character actor so... he should do a good job. Sinise has the right feel to pull it off. Is Damon going to talk like Shatner? That may be weird if he doesn't.

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Flim Springfield writes:
on Feb 26 2007 08:55 PM

I think a big question is- are these actors interested in playing these characters for the next twenty years? Because I'm pretty sure that's what Paramount wants, to reignite the franchise and pump out a bunch of movies. So I think it would be better to find actors who are ready for that, rather than have to recast every couple films.

That's assuming the this movie is successful, of course.

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MC. writes:
on Feb 26 2007 09:15 PM

Ryan Phillipe is Kirk.

Damon is just a smokescreen.

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TheAnswerMVP2001 writes:
on Feb 26 2007 09:19 PM

That's not a bad cast, yet I would hardly call them young. I still don't like the idea of re-doing classic characters. It works alright for James Bond but it didn't work well at all for Star Wars. I'd rather see a new group of characters than this, but there obviously not interested in what the fans want.

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neclordsword writes:
on Feb 26 2007 11:37 PM

Damon and Sinise are great choices, and while Brody's a fantastic actor much of his abilities have surfaced by playing rather emotional characters, which Spock is noticeably not. Still, that's one good rumor.

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mreed3562 writes:
on Feb 27 2007 06:32 AM

I don't understand why they don't just make the next Star Trek all CGI, like TMNT, and let Shatner and Nimoy provide motion capture and voice input.

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Ash84 writes:
on Feb 27 2007 07:24 AM

In reply to this comment (#856872)
Vulcans are dry and emotionless, but Spock was half human. That's where his character's drama played out. Like Data trying to become human on TNG.

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Muddler writes:
on Feb 27 2007 07:28 AM

If that's the cast, those are some pretty heavy hitters in Hollywood - not exactly the unknowns and 3rd stringers that start out a new Star Trek cast.

Time will tell. I think trekkers would accept these actors in the roles. Just as important, I think that a new audience would come to see a star trek with those actors.

In a real sense, Damon makes it cool/handsome, Brody appeals for acting power to many, and Sinise is the everyman with street cred.

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Now it's dark writes:
on Feb 27 2007 08:18 AM

Greed often smells like cheese in Hollywood.

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Zen Bullet writes:
on Feb 27 2007 08:26 AM

Of the three actors mentioned, Gary Sinise is by far the best casting choice. He possesses all the qualities essential to McCoy.

Damon is going to come across as really uncharismatic in the Kirk role. He's a great actor, but he has none of the charm and wit that infused Shatner's Kirk. While one may argue that a "different" Kirk would be interesting(As Craig was for James Bond), I still think the inevitable comparisons will ensue . . . and I don't think Damon will match up. I'd venture that charisma the likes which Will Smith and Hugh Jackman possess would be essential. Of course, on top of that, the actor would need to project strong leadership.

Brody is by far the worst choice of the lot. While he is very gifted at playing the strong emotional undercurrents of his characters, he's as far from a believable "logic-fellow" as one could probably find. He'd be more suited for a role as an elf than a Vulcan.

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Ciaranmv writes:
on Feb 27 2007 10:43 AM

[b]MY PICKS!!![/b]
Here are my choices for the dynamic trio:

JACK BLACK as CAPT. JAMES T. KIRK ............................................................

STEVE CARRELL as MR. SPOCK .....................................................................

and

OWEN WILSON as DR. McCOY .....................................................................

(try to picture him saying, "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?")

j/k. Personally, I think though that Black would be closer to Shatner in some respects than Damon... Overall, I think that it's kind of presumptious for Abrams to assume that fans will embrace a rehash of the SAME enterprise crew. It could be like another ENTERPRISE... ugh!!

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RocketPunch writes:
on Feb 27 2007 10:52 AM

I think Al Gore should be Kirk.

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Circe Prankster writes:
on Feb 27 2007 11:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#856882)
Not an elf - a Ferengi! Don't you think Brody would be a great Ferengi? Quark's uncle or something? I agree completely with everything Zen Bullet said. Brody is a simmering cauldron of emotion, and a little weasely (much better for a scheming Ferengi than an elegant hyper-cool Vulcan).

Damon is better at playing tormented characters than someone like Kirk, who is so suave and confident. Also, I think Damon is too of-this-world, if you know what I mean. I keep imagining him with the Boston accent . . . I'm not sure I'd buy him in the Star Trek context, as a man of the future. But maybe I'm nitpicking.

If you like Hugh Jackman as Kirk, how about keeping it Australian and making it Guy Pierce as Spock? He's got the requisite stone-face. Sinise is a great choice, I could picture that right away. I also like the rumors about the other characters, Sulu and Scotty. What about Uhuru? Beyonce, maybe? (joke)

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alisonb writes:
on Feb 27 2007 12:19 PM

I dont mind the idea o Damon as Kirk but cant stand the idea of Brody as Spock. Tobias Menzies (Brutus in HBO's Rome) would be ideal as Spock. He looks the part and is at ease in comedy and drama. Check out some clips on You tube which show what he can do.

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Count_Vertigo writes:
on Feb 27 2007 02:14 PM

My question becomes are we going to see Scott Bakula and the "Enterprise" cast make an appearance at all in this?

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Zen Bullet writes:
on Feb 27 2007 03:32 PM

In reply to this comment (#856885)
Great call Circe Prankster

Guy Pierce would make an awesome Spock. Or even Christian Bale. Now I'm depressed about the "Brody" selection. ARRRGGGHHH!

You're right about Damon. And Jackman would make a better alternative for Kirk . . . although I'm sure there are other possibilities as well.

And of course, Gary Sinise would be perfect as "Bones"

McAvoy as Scotty could serve really well. He isn't who I pictured originally, but upon reflection, he would fill those shoes nicely, albiet differently; Less the adult "mentor", more the wide-eyed talented youth with a knack for machinery.

Daniel Dae Kim as Sulu would do nicely, obviously.

I always thought Danny Devito would make a good Ferengi. I can see a "greed is good" smirk on him. But that race wouldn't be a part of the original Trek timeline . . . unless it doesn't matter because this is a reboot.

From a technical, modern-moviemaking standpoint, I'd like to see less emphasis on the people-in-makeup approach to the aliens . . . and attention applied to making them more foreign-seeming. Of course it's a fine line to cross, as they still need to be relatable. Sort a Brian Froud appraoch to creature design . . . with accents of Wayne Barlowe in the main population for the sake of believability.

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