I’m glad Strange New Worlds is not making the same mistake with Kirk as Star Trek Into Darkness did

Having been a long-time Star Trek fan, I've watched the franchise go through different periods of highs, lows, and all the intermediary stops. And while I always appreciated its pretensions, there's one misstep that's been bothering me for more than a decade: how Star Trek Into Darkness pushed James T. Kirk into the captain's seat without providing him with the thematic foundation to justify it.

It always used to feel contrived—seeing a person cheat on a level of a video game and managing to win the big prize at the end of a long day. You can see he wasn't ready, but the show would not let him be. It made Kirk more of a device to further the plot than a real person in that Star Trek project. So when Strange New Worlds let the cat out of the bag that they were recasting Kirk, I prepared myself.

Were they going to do it all over again? Were we going to be treated to another iteration of a cocky, green Kirk being handed the Enterprise on a silver platter like it was some kind of graduation present? Luckily, Strange New Worlds chose the wiser, more intellectual route. They did it well with Kirk, gave him some room to breathe, allowed him to grow up, and gave him the chance to really earn his spurs—and I'm eternally grateful for that.

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Seeing Kirk make his way up in Star Trek is so much sweeter

Kirk is not the already-legendary, invincible Kirk we're presented with in the original series. He's younger, more contained, and obviously still learning the ropes. The series brings him slowly acclimated—initially as a lieutenant and subsequently as the captain of the USS Farragut—but never in a way that feels like it's coasting him into command.

Instead, we have the chance to observe him in real Starfleet situations, calling on him to make strategic maneuvers, dealing with senior commanders, and trying to steer through the different aspects of morality. It's a believable, realistic experience, and it makes the character all the more likable and charming in the Star Trek franchise.

What I like most about this take on Kirk is that he's not even attempting to be Captain Kirk yet. He's still James, a student, still receptive to growth. That slight difference makes all the difference. It makes his becoming captain of the Enterprise inevitable—but in a positive way, because we'll have literally seen him grow up instead of being asked to just believe it.

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Into the darkness rushed the gun, and it revealed

I am reminded, when looking back at Star Trek Into Darkness, of how fast everything was pushed. Chris Pine's Kirk was quickly turned into a captain overnight—essentially given the Enterprise for simply showing up to work. His take on Kirk had not even shown command-level maturity, and now he was being asked to bear the responsibilities of a starship.

It did not feel like his character deserved this hike, and it certainly did not feel rewarding. Even his fall and demotion in the sequel seemed like a half-hearted adjustment instead of a real narrative progression. And yes, I get that J.J. Abrams was trying to do breakneck action. But in the process, the reboot sacrificed what Star Trek has always gotten right: the slow, painstaking build-up of its characters.

Without that, Kirk's heroism and intellect rang hollow. He hadn't earned his way to captain. He'd just been promoted.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actually respects the Starfleet process

The most rejuvenating thing about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that it does not treat Starfleet ranks like participation trophies. If you want to be captain of a ship, you have to earn it through time, through choices, through relationships, and through sacrifice. That's something this show is very much attuned to. Kirk is not dropped in the middle of the stage. He's a supporting character in someone else's story, learning from older, wiser officers like Captain Pike, gaining experience in the field, and building credibility mission by mission.

That attention to detail counts. It makes the story heavier. And for readers like me who value continuity and character integrity, it makes the principles of Starfleet something greater than flashy uniforms and snappy speeches. It's about preparation, discipline, and leadership earned, not given.

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Pike's leadership in Star Trek sets Kirk up for growth

One thing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds does get right is the dynamic between Kirk and Captain Christopher Pike. Anson Mount's Pike is confident, moral, and charming—never overbearing. He creates a leadership dynamic in which a man like Kirk can observe, learn, and challenge himself. Watching their dynamic, I am typically left with the feeling that Pike is intentionally letting Kirk inch his way forward incrementally without overwhelming him with expectation.

That slow, steady-burning mentorship is so rare on TV these days, where everything's got to build that way so quickly. But this, this is doing it right. Pike's presence enables Kirk to develop naturally, and when Kirk finally does come to command the Enterprise (something we all know is inevitable), it's going to feel a lot more deserved because we're going to have watched him learn before our eyes.

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This Kirk version in Star Trek does get the time to be Kirk

There’s something undeniably exciting about knowing we’re getting a version of Kirk that hasn’t skipped the hard parts. The cocky, confident, deeply loyal leader from The Original Series didn’t just materialize out of nowhere. He was shaped by years of experience, failure, relationships, and growth. Strange New Worlds is honoring that reality. It’s letting the character breathe instead of racing toward icon status.

To me, this makes the Star Trek series richer emotionally. When Kirk succeeds, it is deserved. When he fails, it is believable. And when he finally takes the center seat on the Enterprise, it will be meaningful. Not because of what we've learned he will end up being, but because of who we've watched him become.

Also read: Top 5 moments Star Trek cut (but canon remembers)