William Shatner Says 'Hell Yes' to Playing Captain Kirk Again -- Plus Scoop on New 'Star Trek' TV Series

Comic-Con managed to round up an impressive roster of representatives to celebrate 50 years of Star Trek -- Scott Bakula of Enterprise, Jeri Ryan of Voyager, and Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner of The Next Generation -- but the man of the hour was the one and only:

William Shatner, or as he will forever be known: Captain Kirk.

During the panel, Shatner weighed in on the importance of canon -- "It's essential. It is the basis of law and order. It is the basis of civilization." Still, when asked if Kirk's death could be undone, would he want to continue telling stories about his Star Trek alter-ego, Shatner replied with a resounding, "Hell yes!"

WATCH: 'Star Trek Beyond' Cast Honors Late Co-Star Anton Yelchin at Comic-Con Premiere

Moderator Bryan Fuller kicked it off the panel by recalling, "I didn't want to be a writer. I wanted to be a Star Trek writer." He'll now get the chance, executive producing Star Trek: Discovery, which premieres on CBS All Access in 2017.

"I think what the new series has to do is now is remind the audience about the message of Star Trek," Fuller explained, revealing it should "give us hope for the future." "I think what the new series has to do is continue to be progressive, to continue pushing boundaries."

Discovery will also be unlike any Star Trek that's come before it, Fuller revealed.

"We're telling stories in a brand new way. We're not so much episodic," he said, as Shatner gasped. “There have been 762 episodes of Star Trek television, so we're going to be telling stories like a novel. Chapter by chapter by chapter."

As the Hall H panel wound down, Fuller offered up one last inspirational message: "Right now, it feels as though we need a little help and there's nothing like the guiding light that Gene Roddenberry hung in the sky."

ET's Kevin Frazier Hosts 'Star Trek Beyond' San Diego Premiere

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Up Next

Related Gallery

See the Stars at San Diego Comic-Con 2016!