Did Chris Pine's Captain Kirk's favorite song almost make it to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? Here's what we know

Paramount+'s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered one of its most hilarious episodes on August 28, 2025. Season 3 Episode 8, titled 'Four-And-A-Half Vulcans,' saw Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew transform into Vulcans, and what followed was their humorous efforts to turn back into humans.

During a mission, Pike and his USS Enterprise crew, Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), are all turned into Vulcans. In a memorable sequence from the episode, the crew, along with half-Vulcan Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), are marching down the corridor in full Vulcan ensemble towards the transporter room.

A recently shared BTS video on social media suggests that the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' cast used a very special track during the filming of this particular scene, which was none other than Beastie Boys' "Sabotage." Trekkies will remember that this 1994 song was Chris Pine's Captain Kirk's favorite song in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie (2009), which almost made it to this episode.

More on this in our story.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' BTS features Captain Kirk's favorite song

While Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 8, Four-And-A-Half Vulcans, was a hilarious episode through and through, it almost brought back a blast from the past.

Recently, director Jordan Canning shared a BTS episode from Episode 8, where Captain Pike and his newly transformed Vulcan crew are entering the hallway in slo-mo to the beats of Beastie Boys' Sabotage. This track is not just a song but an emotion for all Star Trek fans, as Sabotage is Kirk's favorite song in the Star Trek movie. Since then, 'Sabotage' has become an unofficial anthem for all things Star Trek and also brings back nostalgia for the classic Trek days.

Canning captioned this BTS from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as

''Nothing gets Vulcans pumped like Beastie Boys ''🖖🏻

This goes on to reflect how modern versions look up to classic Trek movies for inspiration, and Sabotage perfectly fits the mood and vibe of the episode.

However, this famous Beastie Boys track was just a temp track used by the crew during filming and did not make it to the final episode. Instead, Captain Kirk and his Vulcan crew made their grand entrance to the beats of Reckless Youth by The Home of Happy, Wayne Murray, and James Corbin.

Why did Star Trek: Strange New Worlds not feature Sabotage in Episode 8?

While Sabotage is a fan-favorite song that has forever become iconic for Star Trek fans, it made sense for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds not to feature it in Episode 8. The rebellious beats of this Beastie Boys song fit the aesthetic of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie, but Reckless Youth was more befitting for Kirk and his crew's grand entrance.

Additionally, Sabotage is just too iconic and is now forever linked with Pine's Kirk, which could be another reason why it was not used in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The team instead searched for a more fitting song for their modern version and featured it during the marching scene. Still, the BTS certainly brought back happy memories for Star Trek fans, who flocked to Canning's Instagram comments section to express their fondness and nostalgia over the song.

While J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie established Sabotage as Kirk's favorite song, it was also reprised in Star Trek Beyond in a hilarious segment. Trekkies must remember how Kirk's crew broadcast Sabotage on VHF frequencies to disrupt Krall’s ships, thus making the song even more iconic and immortal.

Tune into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 9 on September 4, 2025.

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