Matt Damon Says He's Too Old To Play Captain Kirk

Wayyy back in February, IGN claimed Matt Damon, Adrien Brody and Gary Sinise were the major frontrunners for the three lead roles in Star Trek XI. Damon, of course, would be playing a young Captain Kirk, with Brody as a young Spock and Sinise as a young Dr. McCoy. Well, with only a few days until those much-anticipated Star Trek casting announcements are (hopefully) unveiled at San Diego ComicCon, IGN sat down to ask Damon once and for all if he had landed the part of Kirk. Granted, we're fully aware that if he did land the part, there's no way he would reveal that to IGN during a Bourne Ultimatum junket when, supposedly, director J.J. Abrams is holding out for ComicCon -- but it's always worth a try.

So what did he say? Judging by the title of this post, I have a feeling you already know. Yes, Damon chalked it all up to wild internet speculation and, while he'd be honored to play Captain Kirk, the actor claims he's simply too old for the role. Damon does admit that he's spoken with Abrams about the film, and claims the director is looking for an actor in his early 20s. On the contrary, Damon says that if they do the progression (meaning, in a future film Kirk is older), then "maybe I can play him." All of that being said, it's interesting to watch Damon and his reaction to the question in IGN's video interview. I once watched a show that pointed out the ways in which you can tell someone is lying, and based on Damon's movements, there's a chance he may be fibbing a bit in his answer. First, he swallows a few times, scratches his face at one point (a big tell), and looks down a number of times as if he's trying to think of what to say. While I'm fairly convinced he won't be playing Kirk, Damon himself didn't do a fabulous job answering the question. But you be the judge. Star Trek XI is scheduled to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2008.