Paul Wesley to Play Captain Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Paul Wesley has a compelling new role.

The Vampire Diaries alum has been tapped as a series regular on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2.

Paramount+ has confirmed Wesley will take on the role of Captain James T. Kirk on the latest spinoff of Star Trek.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/EPs Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement.

“Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan, and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

Wesley steps into a role originated by William Shatner, who played Kirk on the original series.

Chris Pine also played the role on some of the recent movies in the universe.

News of Wesley's casting comes well before viewers will actually see him on-screen in the role, however.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to launch Thursday, May 5, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, Australia, and the Nordics.

Following the premiere, new episodes of the 10-episode-long season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays in the U.S.

The latest spinoff is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The series will feature fan favorites from Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock.

The series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

The cast also includes Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.