5 Paul Wesley TV shows that totally negate his Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Captain Kirk aura

Paul Wesley made his debut as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as part of Season 1's season finale, "A Quality of Mercy," and made a return appearance in some episodes throughout Season 2. Casting an iconic character such as Paul Wesley generated an enormous amount of controversy among the fanbase of the franchise.

Accustomed to more internalized or emotional performances on such shows as The Vampire Diaries, Tell Me a Story, and Fallen, Paul Wesley's casting in the role of the self-assured and aggressive Kirk was not risk-free. While Paul Wesley's style of Kirk is different, often described as more analytical and subdued than William Shatner's showy charm or Chris Pine's manic intensity, fans have commented upon how distinct his previous work is from the iconic Kirk character.

This article critiques five of Paul Wesley's earlier TV performances that viewers and critics have cited as outside of his Kirk portrayal. These are not ultimate performance judgments but tone and style comparisons of characters and perceived departures from Starfleet's most iconic captain.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

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Have a look at 5 Paul Wesley TV shows that totally negate his Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Captain Kirk aura

1. The Vampire Diaries – Stefan Salvatore

Paul Wesley portrayed the character Stefan Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries for eight years. Stefan is a vampire with a bad conscience, haunted by morality, trauma, and self-doubt. This is one character that is defined by internal struggle and constant tug-of-war with the darker nature inside him, features that made him a compelling teen supernatural drama lead.

While Stefan's range of emotions was a strength for the show, his personality is quite distinct from the decisiveness traditionally linked with Captain Kirk. Kirk has always been characterized as being instinctual, showing confidence in public, and at ease in giving orders amidst combat.

Fans comparing the two roles frequently note the differences in energy and presence. Aside from that, actors do act out various different emotions over the course of their lives, and Paul Wesley's performance here demonstrated his skill at handling rich emotional subject matter.

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2. Tell Me a Story – Tucker Reed

Tucker Reed was Paul Wesley's part in the dark psychological thriller fairy-tale retelling series Tell Me a Story. Tucker is a tortured author who grows increasingly obsessive and manipulative. The role required Paul Wesley to do morally shady things and inner conflict, all very different from the traditionally heroic role that Captain Kirk had.

While Tell Me a Story is genre- and tone-transgressive from Strange New Worlds, the dramatic opposition between character types is part of the ongoing fan debate. about the range of Paul Wesley. Getting from playing grossly flawed and morally bad characters to that of a Starfleet captain is a huge leap and has been the topic of the larger debate about Paul Wesley's interpretation of Kirk.

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3. 24 – Stephen

Paul Wesley guest-starred as Stephen on 24 during its fifth season. The character was burdened with a subplot to cope with a domestic crisis. Not an emphasis of a high-stakes political thriller, the character was made reactive and emotionally invested in personal issues.

To Captain Kirk, who throughout canonical characterization, has a controlling functional command presence and a right to make decisions of life or death in the presence of crisis that, while temporary in its expression here in 24, is one of the often-quoted fan examples as typical for Paul Wesley's early career progression toward character types defined in terms of individual vulnerability and functional weakness rather than mere leadership.

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4. Army Wives – Logan Atwater

Paul Wesley played the role of Logan Atwater, an irresponsible and young soldier who experiences emotional instability and issues with commitment, in Army Wives. His character development involved romantic issues and conflict with authority without the preparation of the discipline and strategic mind of a character such as Kirk.

Again, the performer and the character he played were far removed from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Again, however, fans familiar with PaulWesley's career do find this turn to come to mind in comparing the maturity level and leadership abilities of his past performances to the gravitas that is typically presumed when taking on the role of Captain Kirk.

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5. Fallen – Aaron Corbett

Wesley was a cast member on Fallen, a television fantasy program in which he is a teenager who discovers he is half-angel with some wonderful cosmic mission. Aaron is confused, emotionally torn, and generally lost as much as his path is concerned. The show centers around his attempt to sort himself and the world out.

While that performance emphasized motifs of transformation and self-awareness, viewers will probably pick up on the fact that Aaron's emotional turmoil and need for outside consultation are precisely the opposite of Strange New Worlds' Kirk, younger than in past productions but still forced to reassure with confidence and innate command.

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Placing the differences in perspective

It should also be remembered that actors are constantly typecast in every kind of role throughout their careers. The fact that Wesley, up until now, has been typecast as emotionally complicated, morally vague, or youthful characters does not preclude him from portraying someone as iconic as Captain Kirk. There are even some fans who argue that the previous roles may provide an extra layer of depth or richness of layering to his acting.

Reaction to Paul Wesley's take on Kirk has been divided, with some cheering the more earthy and intellectualized take, but others enjoying the swaggering dynamic that has been provided in previous incarnations. Wesley's take on Kirk in Strange New Worlds is perhaps less swagger and more introspective, aligning with the work of the series in bringing the early form of the captain to life before he matures into the mythical figure.

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Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a fresh interpretive spin on the character that has been causing some passionate arguments among fans. Wesley has lived as an actor in playing emotionally complex and occasionally tortured characters, but those characters exist within a larger oeuvre where he demonstrates range and depth instead of vulnerability.

The above five shows create roles that are different persona and tone than Kirk's, but they don't necessarily knock Wesley out of the role. They create a perspective for looking at how both the actor and the iconic character that he now portrays evolved. For the rest of us, the juxtaposition of old and new roles is a fascination and not a gripe, and will surely affect the perception of Paul Wesley's Kirk as the series continues.

Also read: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Showrunners might keep telling Original Era stories