The Star Trek community has sadly seen some significant losses in recent days. Near the end of October, fans paid tribute following the passing of franchise OG Walter Koenig, and they also marked the death of Patrick Stewart. Now, William Shatner -- who has paid tribute to both actors -- is weighing in with a tinge of humor. The icon made a morbid joke on the heels of Stewart and Koenig's deaths, and I'm definitely laughing so I don't cry.
Shatner addressed fans in Cleveland, Ohio amid his continued tour of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan screenings. The fan-favorite actor then spoke to the audience about recent events and, as Cleveland.com reported, made a joke about his own mortality in the process:
I keep looking over my shoulder for the guy with the scythe.
I don't see it as insensitive, especially when this is a 95-year-old making the joke. Honestly, I think it's natural that when we see the passing of others, it reminds us of our own mortality, and I'm sure Shatner is thinking of the fact that being only one of two remaining main cast members alive from the TOS era.
William Shatner brought this up during his talk, noting that he and estranged co-star George Takei are the last men standing. Never one to miss a chance to send a jab back at Takei, he said this about whether he'll outlive the Sulu actor:
I’m not going to go first.
For all the jokes he made, William Shatner offered great tributes both to Walter Koenig and to his fellow Captain, Patrick Stewart. He also clarified at his latest appearance that he didn't have a close personal relationship with either, even though he co-starred with Stewart in Star Trek: Generations.
Shatner also wasn't close with Walter Koenig, despite them working together on three seasons of Star Trek and the movies. Koenig never claimed to be a big fan of his co-star, but was often quick to praise his overall talents as an actor.
The morbid joke feels like a capstone to what has been a disappointing 60th anniversary celebration of Star Trek. Yes, there's a movie in development, but that's been the same story for the past decade. There are no shows in active development, and it feels like the entire franchise is in a holding pattern while we wait to see what the next steps are.
Fortunately, we got a couple of final performances from both Walter Koenig and Patrick Stewart, thanks to Picard. Stewart, of course, was the star of the Paramount+ series, and Koenig had a cameo in the finale as the son of Chekov.
There were efforts to get William Shatner back in the modern era of Star Trek, with the co-showrunners of Strange New Worlds revealing they had a plan to bring him back as Kirk. That plan never worked out, and Shatner recently said he didn't receive an offer to return. With that, the jury is still out on how far along that plan had gotten.
CinemaBlend continues to offer condolences to the family and friends of Walter Koenig and Patrick Stewart, as they lay their loved ones to rest. Let's also wish the best of health to William Shatner, and that sense of humor that keeps him chugging across the United States.
