The problem was his character died on screen in one of his Trek films and because we decided, very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could ... the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do given the story we wanted to tell and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with.
 
It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting. 

William Shatner should be somewhere in everything.

It makes sense. He died in one of the Next Generation Movies. It would be pretty hard to bring him back into this timeline unless it's another blackhole type deal, which would be stupid for a sequel. I remember they also brought back the original Scottie once in an episode of Next Generation as well where I think he was stuck in a transporter stream?

" William Shatner should be somewhere in everything. "

I'm going to say no, Nimoy and Spock-Prime were perfect in the context of the altered time-line. Despite how little he was on-screen he was relevant and it made sense. It was very clever and inspired, very enjoyable.
 
But Shatner's Kirk is dead, the only way I'd except him being in the sequel would be if he was playing a different character, preferably a five-second cameo. Please don't start wheel-cheering all of the original cast out just for the sake of it.

" @jloneblackheart said:

" William Shatner should be somewhere in everything. "

The best statement EVER! "

Maybe who knows it could work.

There are alternative methods in which they could incorporate Shattner/Kirk into the reboot, without messing up the continuity of his death. Also isn't the current continuity timeline already altered? Spoke's mother dying, Vulcan being destroyed, etc etc. They could play off a ripple effect or something. Where events that were altered in the past changed events in the future. There go Kirk isn't dead, or something like that.

If he's still alive whn they get around to shooting the sequel, then sure!  Why not!  The Shat needs a boost to his pension ;)

" If he's still alive whn they get around to shooting the sequel, then sure!  Why not!  The Shat needs a boost to his pension ;) "

As I mentioned, I'm no Star Trek expert but I think he was revived in a novel.  Pretty sure William Shatner was involved with writing that.

Seee now this could work bringing back Shatner , since now the timeline has been altered by Capt. Nero. Future villains still exist like Kahn for example but now the outcomes could change & anyone could die that was alive in the future. So anything could happened to Sulu or Scotty or whoever. It's gonna be interesting.

"  I'm no Star Trek expert  "

I don't see why he has to play a Kirk, it just wouldn't make sense.  Spock-Prime works because he is an anomoly.  They should give Shatner a different character if he's going to be in the sequel, current Kirks Grandfather maybe?

I think having Shatner do a cameo as another character is a horrible idea.  No matter what name tag you stick on his chest people are going to see and think Kirk.  He should be in the next movie, the fans want it, but it has to be done tastefully.

I think it would be kinda cool to see The Shat in the next Star Trek, but I'm pretty sure they've rebooted or retconned his Kirk out of existence. I think he had his chance and kinda blew it. 

"William Shatner should be somewhere in everything. "

sure why not ?"

Kirk was actually resurrected in the Star Trek books by the Borg

My chair! It's... spinning out of control!

as a cameo maybe

 I can't believe people are talking about how Shatner coming back would create holes in the story when Abrams' Trek is the most convoluted movie I've seen in a long time. Shatner can find a way back because the Abram continuity is a joke. They can work him in and should. Then they should work in Picard, somehow, and the Borg. Continuity be damned, Abrams hit the reset button.

All they need to do is have him walking somewhere and bump into one of the guys, say sorry and keep walking. Don;t even need his face on camera. But the SHAT needs to be in the next or this shat fan will bail

He should definitly be in the sequel!!

" @Gambler: I've always leaned towards Star Wars. "

Highly unlikely, if they stick to canon.  Classic Kirk originally disappeared during the initial voyage of the Enterprise B, having been drawn into the Nexus (as was seen in Generations).  He then left the Nexus with Picard in order to deal with the final act of that movie. 
 
Now, when Picard is in the Nexus, he meets Guinen.  Guinen explains that one can leave the Nexus at any point in time, but you have to 'depart' wherever the Nexus was at at the time.  She can't leave because she left during the Enterprise B incident.  She also explains that you can't leave in a point in time where you already exist. 
 
Thus, since there's already a Kirk in the alternate timeline, classic Kirk can't leave the Nexus in that same era.  Not only that, but the Nexus' position is unmapped during that era.  He could just as easily end up on the far side of the universe.

Shatner should have a bit part as TJ Hooker's descendant Admiral Tiberius James Hooker..

Shatner should appear.

No i think william shatner should not be in the next movie because 
Spock-Prime handed the torch to the new Star Trek  altered time-line , to start a fresh begining.

James Tiberius Kirk would kick Han Solo's ass! Oh yea I said it. lol. 
 
I won't bother lying. I am a huge Star Trek dork. 
 
Star Trek is at its best when there are moral implications and controversial surrounding phasers, cool space ships, aliens, and eye candy special effects. I have easily seen Wrath of Khan 20 times. 3 times in the movie theatre as a kid. 
 
That said, Shatner shouldn't be in the next Star Trek. Abrams worked very hard in the first film to differentiate it from the Classic Trek. For one, this version is centered around Spock and Kirk and significantly less McCoy. Second, this Kirk has it in for the Romulans than the Klingons after Bana's character killed his dad. Third, Spock gets the girl not Kirk.
 
 I say keep going straight on till morning @ warp 10 without looking back. All kinds of possibilities are open but if you go back you're stuck in continuity paradoxes.

 "I've always been a moderate Star Trek fan."
Guy dressed like Boba Fett - Wonna shocking news?
Girl dressed like Twi'lek - More shocking then silly "Clone Wars" cartoon?
Guy dressed like Boba Fett - Much more - G-man is a treker!
Guy dressed like ewok  - I never really liked this guy!
)))))

I can't see this happening without being really contrived and forced. Resist, resist!

" William Shanter is the freakin man! All this make him himself but if the past crap is lame. Let him play a good part and leave it at that. As a die hard original Star Trek I did like the movie but it, as far as the continuity goes was stupid. lol Still liked it though.  "