From ComingSoon.net ...

Why is William Shatner Not in Star Trek?
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AMC's SciFi Scanner talked to Star Trek director J.J. Abrams,
who explained why you won't see William Shatner reprising the
role of Captain James T. Kirk:

Q: How do you react to William Shatner's ire at not
having a role in the movie?

A: It was very tricky. We actually had written a
scene with him in it that was a flashback kind
of thing, but the truth is, it didn't quite
feel right. The...