Star Trek Legend William Shatner Shows Star Wars Some Love, Gets Fans Hopeful About Joining Franchise

William Shatner on The Big Bang Theory

May the 4th has become a revered holiday of sorts for Star Wars fans on the internet, and it's caught on so much to the point that even one of Star Trek's biggest names couldn't resist getting in on the action. William Shatner posted a message showing his support for the franchise, and now there's some hopeful it means he's looking to get involved in the franchise.

For those who missed the message, William Shatner's tweet was short and sweet. He wished Star Wars fans well and even included an image that can perhaps best be described as a Boomer meme? I said "perhaps!"

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The message was met with love from both sides of the aisle, though there seemed to be a few more Star Trek fans who wished to throw some shade at the Star Wars holiday. One fan gently reminded William Shatner that he wasn't part of the franchise, to which the actor quoted Spaceballs in a very interesting way.

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William Shatner is not a part of the Star Wars franchise, but this jokey tweet implies there's still time for him to get on board. The 90-year-old actor isn't exactly wrong, and given that the Star Wars universe is going full-throttle on television projects, there's no shortage of opportunities for him to potentially join up. (Think of all the random famous people who have played Stormtroopers over the years.) Could this all be a subtle tease he's about to voice a character in something like Star Wars: The Bad Batch or even appear in a live-action series?

Of course, we haven't heard anything about that, but if William Shatner did join the world of Star Wars, he wouldn't be the first Star Trek actor to do so. The likes of Simon Pegg, Brent Spiner, and even Shatner's former co-star George Takei have played parts in both franchises, and there's plenty of room in Hollywood to do both.

With that being said, there are certainly some who may see Shatner joining Star Wars as a betrayal, especially given he's the man largely responsible for the success of Star Trek. I would also wager that are many others who would be completely fine and aren't as militant about aligning themselves with just Star Wars or Star Trek. That said, William Shatner has gone a long time without rejoining Star Trek in any capacity, so I think he could catch some flak for that.

All in all, I wouldn't put any serious stock in the recent statement William Shatner made for May the Fourth. The 90-year-old actor has been plenty busy doing spoken word albums and still offering plenty of support to the Star Trek community. Maybe he will eventually do something with Star Wars, but given all he's into, even at this stage in his life, I wouldn't expect him to journey too far into the galaxy far, far away.

Would you be ok with seeing William Shatner appear in a Star Wars project? Sound off in our poll, and for more on Shatner and Star Wars, read up on how he once got into an argument with a fan about whether or not Luke Skywalker was married.

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Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.