William Shatner's single decision in Star Trek II proved to be a game changer as the film renewed people's interest in the franchise

William Shatner's single decision in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was instrumental in making it one of the best films in the franchise. After the successful Star Trek: The Original Series, the cast returned for the films beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Fans and studio executives were not happy with the first film even though the film was a financial success.

Shatner suggested that the second film in the series makes Captain James T. Kirk more vulnerable. The proposal was initially met with skepticism, but Kirk's midlife crisis turned out to work really well for the film. The film kicked off a three-part storyline that ended in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and the rest of the cast returned to their roles in the Star Trek films, set a decade after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. The time jump was not addressed significantly in the first film. However, Shatner decided to emphasize Captain Kirk's age and related problems in the second film.