The Star Trek Fight That Left Chris Pine With A Real Black Eye

When an actor takes on one of the most iconic roles in Star Trek, they must prepare for some of the hits that come with it. However, when Chris Pine signed on to play Captain Kirk, he probably didn't expect to earn a black eye. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "Star Trek Beyond" star Idris Elba recalled how a staged scuffle led to Pine getting a shiner. Incredibly, much like the Starfleet hero he was playing, the actor shrugged it off and wore it like a badge of honor. 

Discussing his experience on set, Elba, who plays the film's villain, Krall, said, "We had laughs. Chris and I had laughs, and then I gave him a black eye." By the sound of things, Pine might have been responsible. "Well, we were doing a fight scene, and he got a bit cheeky, and I was just like pow! I didn't mean to do it, but Chris was quite proud of it." 

Thankfully, keeping Kirk's legendary rep intact, Pine was briefly down but certainly not out. Whereas some might switch to panic mode about the film's lead flaunting a black eye, director Justin Lin worked around the minor setback, ensuring that the last act of this venture into the final frontier went by without a hitch. Guided by his hand, "Star Trek Beyond" is one of the best movies of 2016.

Given that "Star Trek Beyond" was an extremely rough experience for Justin Lin due to other behind-the-scenes issues, a black eye on Captain Kirk wasn't a problem. The filmmaker took Chris Pine's surprise injury in stride, which is the least he could do, given that he might have nudged his star to get a little rough. "This cast goes all out, and I like to challenge them. We were shooting this third-act fight, and I kept pushing to get the right angle, to the point where Chris just got hit," Lin told The Hollywood Reporter. It comes with the territory; strange new worlds are explored, new civilizations are discovered, and heroic captains sometimes walk away with a bump or two that will send them to sickbay.

Thankfully, the stars aligned and the issue was organically incorporated into the film. Lin explained, "Continuity-wise, it worked out. That black eye played so well in the rest of the movie." Danger averted, Captain? It certainly seems so, and Pine was happy with the outcome.

Speaking to People about the (ahem) close encounter with Idris Elba, the Enterprise captain was pretty chill about it. "He gave me a black eye, and that was fun, and we used that. He's a big guy, and we tussled and threw some fake punches. All in a day's work."

To read more about "Star Trek Beyond," check out the ending of "Star Trek Beyond" explained.