SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 23: Chris Pine arrives at the Australian premiere of 'Star Trek Intro Darkness' at Event Cinemas on April 23, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Fourth Star Trek film gets green light and a familiar face is set to come back, all before Beyond hits U.S. theaters

You haven't seen this guy in a Star Trek film in a long time.

Star Trek fans are excited enough as it is with the third installment in the franchise set to hit theaters in the United State this Friday. Now they have even more to look forward as there will not only be a fourth movie for sure, but there will be a long forgotten face making another appearance.

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The father of Chris Pine's James Tiberius Kirk, George Kirk, was played by Thor actor Chris Hemsworth. He only appeared on screen briefly before seemingly being blown to bits by Nero's (Eric Bana) mining ship from the future and saving everyone on the ship by flying it straight into the miner hoping to slow down Nero and his disgruntled Romulans.

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It seems good old George may not be dead after all and this is great for Star Trek because when Hemsworth first appeared in 2009's original reboot, he was not a household name like he is now and will add even more star power to this franchise (again, sort of). Star Trek Beyond has already received widely positive reviews from critics as it's debuted elsewhere around the world and that must have been good enough for the studio to give the fourth movie a green light.

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Beyond is being directed by Justin Lin (Fast and Furious 6) and now we've got some questions that need answering. Will the Enterprise crew go back in time? Just Kirk? Will Kirk's father be brought forward in time before that fateful day where he sacrificed himself to save everyone on his ship? Only time will tell as we wait to see how Beyond will perform in the U.S. and for the fourth film to come out in the near future.

 

[h/t Collider]