It might not seem like it now, but in its early days, Star Trek was an underdog. Despite earning a dedicated fanbase with younger demographics during its three-year run, the original 1960s series wasn’t a ratings smash. NBC canceled the ambitious sci-fi excursion after three seasons, and there’s a good chance Star Trek wouldn’t have made it that far without a combination of good luck and powerful behind-the-scenes allies (like entertainment powerhouse Lucille Ball). Trek‘s evolution into a franchise powerhouse was a tenuous undertaking from the beginning: although supportive of creator Gene Roddenberry‘s “Western in space” concept, NBC ordered a second pilot after deeming Roddenberry’s first offering “too cerebral” (not to mention the episode’s roughly $500,000 budget, a whopping price tag for the time). In this inaugural attempt, titled “The Cage,” film actor Jeffrey Hunter played Christopher Pike, the captain of the Enterprise and the series’ leading man. However, when the second pilot hit the airwaves, Pike was nowhere to be found. Instead, viewers were greeted by the swaggering charm of franchise staple Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Why didn’t Trek‘s main performer return for the full series?
Why Did Captain Pike Leave ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’?
Before his brief stint with Trek, Hunter had been a consistently working character actor and leading man for over a decade. Although not a superstar, he was known to audiences for high-profile roles like Jesus Christ in the ancient Biblical epic King of Kings and his supporting turn in John Wayne’s Western classic The Searchers; superstar Marilyn Monroe even called him “the acme of young American manhood.” Eventually, Hunter branched into television after feeling “dissatisfied with the roles being offered him in films,” calling them “cotton candy, college-sophomore” scripts that capitalized on his looks.
His search for satisfyingly in-depth opportunities led him to Star Trek. Allegedly, NBC executives were convinced that Hunter could be Trek’s lead, but Roddenberry championed Hunter’s involvement. Nevertheless, Hunter ultimately refused Gene Roddenberry’s offer to reprise Captain Pike for a revamped series order, despite Roddenberry reportedly “set[ting] up a special screening of ‘The Cage’ […] in hopes of convincing the actor to stick with the project.” Hunter explained his decision during an interview with the Milwaukee Journal in 1965:
“I was asked to do it, I would have been tied up much longer than I care to be. I have several things brewing now and they should be coming to a head in the next few weeks.
I love doing motion pictures and expect to be as busy as I want to be in them
.”
Captain Pike Still Became an Important ‘Star Trek’ Character
With hindsight, it’s easy to extrapolate a scenario where Hunter continued with Star Trek and became as vital a part of Trek iconography as Shatner’s Kirk: the first onscreen captain and, therefore, essentially the face of the franchise. At the time, however, Star Trek probably seemed like a risky gamble to those involved. Certainly, few could have anticipated the worldwide entertainment titan it would become. It makes sense why Hunter chose to return to the film world’s familiar and flexible work over being tied down to a series.
Tragically, Hunter passed away in 1969, only four years after filming his single Star Trek episode. Hunter seemed to appreciate the series’ vision, having praised its ideology: “Except for the fictional characters,” he said, “it will be like getting a look into the future and some of the predictions will surely come true in our lifetime.” Even though NBC never officially aired “The Cage,” Hunter still made his mark on Star Trek lore; before “The Cage” became widely available through special edition DVDs, a two-part episode from Season 1, “The Menagerie,” recycled the majority of Hunter’s footage into a flashback format resolving Pike’s story (played by Sean Kenney in Hunter’s stead).
Decades later, director J.J. Abrams’ first two prequel films incorporated the character (Bruce Greenwood) as a mentor to Chris Pine‘s youthful Kirk, while the ongoing Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fully explores Pike’s (Anson Mount) years at the Enterprise helm. For the brief time he was onscreen, Hunter gave Captain Pike dignity, curiosity, and a brooding, responsible charisma that was more somber than flirtatious: the epitome of an era-appropriate hero who happened to be a futuristic space explorer.
Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.
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