Reply #24: Agreed, and I think I said much the same in one of my replies above.

[Kutjara]

If they wanted to, they could monkey with the timeline, alternate universes, cloning, mind melds and whatever other mcguffin they liked. That would take the focus off the "prequel" and make it more of an original cast adventure, though.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that the original cast will be "reminiscing" about the good old days. Their reminiscences will then form the core of the film's plot (with new actors playing the original cast's younger selves). If that's the case, Shatner would be hard to cast. Unless, of course, they "saved" a 75 year old version of him from an alternate timeline. And that would just be weird.