Considering he played Captain Kirk in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek films without receiving so much as Vulcan nerve pinch from irate Trekkies, Chris Pine knows more than most about what makes a successful reboot.
Which speaks volumes for his latest starring role – that of the titular hero in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, a gritty, action-loaded, post-9/11 thriller which sees Tom Clancy's legendary CIA spook earn his stripes when attempting to uncover a threat from heinous Russian financier-cum-global terrorist Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh).
It’s not a role he took lightly, either. In our interview with the star (below), he reveals the pressure of playing another beloved fictional hero, the covert operations training he undertook to prepare for the film, and, perhaps most importantly of all, who he reckons would win in a scuffle between James T Kirk and Jack Ryan.
Seconds out…
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is in cinemas nationwide from today