James T. Kirk will be different in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, according to actor Paul Wesley. Strange New Worlds is the eleventh television series in the Star Trek franchise, and it debuted on Paramount+ on May 5, 2022. A spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, Strange New Worlds season 1 received massive critical acclaim with a 99% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing at the Primetime Emmy Awards. In January of 2022, Strange New Worlds was renewed for a second season, which is expected to premiere on Paramount+ sometime in 2023. Like season 1, season 2 will consist of 10 episodes.

Featuring cast and characters from Discovery, Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they explore the galaxy, approximately ten years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. Wesley's iteration of Kirk was introduced in the show's season 1 finale, much to the delight of Original Series fans. The Strange New Worlds showrunners have said that fans will be seeing much more of Kirk in season 2, as Wesley joins the show as a recurring cast member.

In interviews with EW and Variety (via TrekMovie), Wesley has discussed how Kirk will be very different in season 2 than in his season 1 appearance. Wesley says that season 2's Kirk will still be accurate to the character, but that he isn't trying to necessarily emulate William Shatner or Chris Pine's versions. Unlike other iterations of the character, Wesley's Kirk will be pre-Enterprise and will explore more of who Kirk is before he sat in the Captain's chair. Wesley says that "there was less room to play with Kirk's humor" in Strange New Worlds season 1, and that fans can expect to see Kirk growing and exploring who he is in season 2. See Wesley's full comments below.

"I can’t talk about season 2 too much, but it’s a little bit more in line with a Kirk that we know, but it’s pre-Enterprise. The most important thing is, to answer your question, is to maintain that sense of Kirk having this incredible gut instinct that he relies on, that is preternaturally accurate in a way, a morality, courage, charm, humor. We don’t get to see as much of that humor in the season 1 finale because there’s something very intense happening. Season 2, we get to explore a little bit more of Kirk."
"I wanted to capture a little bit of that bravado, but at the same time, that particular episode, there was a lot at stake there. There was less room to play with Kirk’s humor. There was some charm, but he was very mission driven in that episode, so we didn’t explore Kirk as much as we will in Season 2... I can’t talk about it too much, but man, I had such a blast on Season 2. The writing is so good. It’s so fun. Season 2 is where we get to really let loose and explore Kirk. I can’t wait for everyone to see it."

While Captain Kirk has appeared in several different television series and films across the Star Trek universe, Strange New Worlds season 2 seems to focus much more on who Kirk was before he came to the Enterprise. The season 1 finale saw Pike sent into an alternate future, where an alternate reality Kirk reunites with his older brother Sam, who was long dead by the time of The Original Series. However, this is not the same Kirk that fans will meet in season 2, as Pike is returned to his reality by the finale's end.

With both Discovery and Strange New Worlds exploring different universes, realities, and timelines, Wesley has the unique opportunity to present a very different version of Kirk to Star Trek fans. While Wesley is still trying to keep Kirk's wit, charm, and gut instincts, he will be able to re-invent the character and allow audiences to watch Kirk grow through the Starfleet ranks, much like viewers have had the chance to see with Mount's Captain Pike. Though the details of season 2 have been kept under tight wraps, one thing is for certain: Strange New Worlds will boldly go where no Star Trek series has gone before.