How Star Trek's William Shatner Feels About Starfleet Academy's Sudden Ending

Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Trekkies sewage 2 pieces of large news recently, 1 affirmative and 1 negative. For nan positive: Actor William Shatner, who played James T. Kirk connected "Star Trek: The Original Series," turned 95 connected March 22, 2026, and Trekkies everyplace were capable to internally observe his birthday. For nan negative: It's been announced that "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" will extremity aft its 2nd play wraps up.

"Starfleet Academy" was, by this writer's estimation, an incredibly promising "Star Trek" bid successful its recently concluded first season, complete pinch a bully premise and bully characters. Season 1 unfolds successful nan 32nd period aft a galaxy-wide cataclysm called nan Burn has wiped retired each progressive starships and killed millions crossed nan "Star Trek" universe. Most worlds person retreated into isolationism, while nan Federation has shrunk and gone into hiding. So, nan titular schoolhouse reopens arsenic a measurement to denote that bid and diplomacy are now options again. The consequence is simply a "Star Trek" show astir reconstruction, arsenic told from nan POV of teen Federation cadets who walk their days studying science, art, theater, and each other. It's a very youthful series.

But thing astir nan show has rubbed group nan incorrect way. "Starfleet Academy" play 1 was notoriously review-bombed by whiners who dislike its progressive ideas, queer representation, etc. It wasn't bigoted capable for a contingent of perpetually-online individuals. Indeed, nan racist cadaver Stephen Miller erstwhile whined that nan "Star Trek" spot needs to beryllium saved from "Starfleet Academy," insisting that Shatner return imaginative power of nan franchise.

Shatner, however, believes that "Starfleet Academy" ending is simply a tragedy, penning connected Twitter/X, "It's pinch sorrow that I perceive astir nan cancellation of nan caller 'Star Trek' series." He's further noted that nan spot has had to look disapproval from intolerant viewers passim its full life.

John Medland/Paramount+

William Shatner wisely pointed retired that nan "Star Trek" franchise isn't conscionable astir its fictional subject (although that is, of course, an important aspect); it's besides each astir creator Gene Roddenberry's wish fulfillment fantasies. The spot is astir notable for its optimistic position of nan future, imagining a clip erstwhile humanity has fto truthful of petty things for illustration prejudice, money, and warfare and alternatively agreed to go a unit for exploration, benevolence, and study. As Shatner put it:

"'Star Trek' exists successful much than 1 world. It exists successful nan imagination of subject fabrication — weird and awesome things that play unimaginable possibilities of exploration and quality endeavor. But it besides exists successful nan imagination of quality beings, nan perfection of quality beings, nan exploration that quality beings person made since nan dawn of clip and nan continuing exploration — physically, mentally, and morally. It's that facet of 'Star Trek' that I've ever loved, to look astatine thing physically that doesn't beryllium now by these talented writers & designers but besides to tackle nan eternal quality questions nan agonies, nan ecstasies." 

As such, Shatner likes nan conception of nan "Star Trek" franchise continuing onward and many times inspiring humanity. Far from being concerned pinch nan nitty-gritty of "Starfleet Academy," nan character believes capable successful nan spot arsenic a full to lament nan extremity of its latest installment. In different posts connected Twitter/X, he's likewise miffed that location are people retired location who dislike "Starfleet Academy" for reasons of racism and bigotry. For Shatner, though, nan opus has ever remained nan same.

Michael Gibson/Paramount+

One of William Shatner's subsequent Twitter/X posts evokes "Plato's Stepchildren," a "Star Trek: The Original Series" section agelong banned successful nan UK. There, Captain Kirk is psychically manipulated by a cadre of super-powered sadists into kissing his crewmate, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), against their wills. The section was nan first clip a scripted buss betwixt a Black female and a achromatic man appeared connected U.S. television.

Shatner perpetuated an incorrect rumor successful his post, though, writing: 

"During nan first airing of my 'Star Trek' bid wherever a buss was objectionable; galore Southern stations pulled nan section & condemned nan show. Using today's vernacular it would perfectly beryllium called 'woke DEI crap' because it went against 'norms' of nine for its time. Not a batch seems to person changed." 

In fact, nan buss successful "Plato's Stepchildren" chiefly caused consternation among web executives who feared it would induce racist blowback (per NBC News).

That said, Shatner is correct. In 2026, "Plato's Stepchildren" would so beryllium slammed by modern racists arsenic being "woke DEI crap." In yet different Twitter/X post, he additionally observed that those claiming "Starfleet Academy" isn't "real 'Star Trek'" punctual him of nan group who said nan aforesaid point astir shows for illustration "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" earlier it. "'Star Trek' is different for everyone," he continued. 

Finally, Shatner confessed to having not watched "Starfleet Academy." "I've only seen nan 1 clip pinch passing of nan glasses that I made nosy of respective weeks ago," he wrote successful his last Twitter/X post. It was large of him to take sides a bid he hadn't seen, knowing astir of nan sermon astir it has thing to do pinch its existent quality.