Paul Wesley as Captain Kirk in 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' leaves the internet divided

For the upcoming second season of Paramount Plus' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paul Wesley has been cast in the legendary role of James T. Kirk. Unfortunately, the news hasn't gone down well with fans of the franchise.

The show, which was renewed for a second season in January, will return to the screen on May 5, 2022.

Executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers of Strange New Worlds commented:

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long ‘Star Trek’ fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

Paul Wesley took to Twitter shortly after the news became public to express his delight. He said he had been a long-time fan of the show, and recalled the funny incident about meeting the older version of himself.

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Why is the internet divided on Paul Wesley's casting as Captain Kirk?

Loyal fans of Paul Wesley took to Twitter to congratulate their favorite Vampire Diaries actor on this new adventure and spoke unanimously about how he has both the looks and the talents for the role of the younger Captain Kirk.

While one half of the Star Trek fandom seemed to welcome the casting with open arms, the other half was rigid in their notion that the actor was not seemingly fit for the role.

Most fans also raised concerns that they were confused about the plotline of the future of Star Trek, having seemingly confused the years in between the distinctive eras.

This disappointment predominantly stems from the fact that fans had previously petitioned for a Pike series and not a Kirk prequel. Some fans on Twitter even apologized to Wesley, saying that although his casting was faultless, they weren't quite up for the change.

They also wished the Star Trek franchise would come up with new storylines with fresh characters and time travel instead of revisiting old ones all over again.

Paul Wesley is most recognized for his role as Stefan Salvatore in the CW drama series The Vampire Diaries, which he featured in for eight seasons and about 170 episodes.

He'll next be featured in History of Evil, and he'll also appear in Roll Bounce, Peaceful Warrior, and Before I Disappear.