Looking back over the nearly 60 years of its history, the success of Star Trek seems an improbable one. A large part of what made Star Trek: The Original Series work so well was its cast, led by William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk. While each iteration of the universe Gene Roddenberry created is unique, comparisons are inevitable. Patrick Stewart -- the actor who breathed life into the universe's second USS Enterprise captain Jean-Luc Picard -- was deliberately designed to not evoke comparisons to Kirk. Even the handsome, action-focused character meant to emulate that energy, Will Riker, never smiled as much as the wry Kirk did in The Original Series.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-captains-capture-jim-kirk-william-shatner-spirit/
