Is William Shatner Returning as James Kirk in ‘Star Trek 3’? J.J. Abrams Called Him, Will Appear 'If It is Meaningful', Actor Says

By Staff Writer

Oct 01 2014, 04:52 AM EDT

William Shatner gave a roundabout, tacit suggestion that he may be heading back into deep space aboard the USS Enterprise in the upcoming "Star Trek" film.

In a fan-made video from the Wizard World Comic Con in Nashville last Friday, September 26, the 83-year-old Canadian actor said that J.J. Abrams called him regarding the likelihood of making a role for him in the still-untitled sequel to 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness".

"I said, 'Oh, yeah. If it is meaningful, because when Leonard (Nimoy), when Spock was in that first movie, I said to Leonard, 'You know your role, when you go back in time and you're still old,'" Shatner said in the video. "So it depends on what you do with the character. I'd be delighted."

According to the Daily Mail, Shatner said the he was "sworn to secrecy" regarding any involvement he has on the project. Nevertheless, it did not put a stop to all the buzz and conjectures spreading all over the internet.

However, the actor remains dodgy on the subject, putting a dubious authenticity on all the speculations. In fact, Shatner took to social media to correct the apparent misconception.

"Let's talk ST. I don't know anything about the current gossip. Nobody has contacted me. Right now it's just rhetoric to cause hype," Shatner tweeted September 23.

Robert Orci, who is set to direct the upcoming sequel, responded that same day to all the rumors, TrekMovie reports. "Not in my interest to confirm or deny anything because it limits my options while maintaining my integrity as a truth teller," Orci said. "The movie is not the movie till it is in the theater. Until then, everything is a rumor."

Shatner also seems skeptical about the plot, given it has been quite a long time since he appeared in any of the "Star Trek" film franchise and weekly television series. "They might want Leonard and myself but I don't know what to do with it," Shatner told the fans, according to E! Online. "How do you get me 50 years later into the movie? How do you rationalize it? I know it's science fiction, but even I couldn't come up with an idea. So that's the news on that."

William Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, commander of the Federation starship USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series "Star Trek" (1966 to 1969), "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (1973 to 1974), and in all six of the original "Star Trek" series films from 1979 to 1991, as well as in 1994's "Star Trek: Generations", in which he starred alongside Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard.