'Star Trek 4' release date, plot spoilers: Chris Hemsworth returning as Captain Kirk's father?

"Thor" star Chris Hemsworth is reportedly returning to the "Star Trek" franchise.

The actor played the role of George Kirk, the father of Chris Pine's Captain James Kirk in the 2009 film "Star Trek," the first installment in the current "Star Trek" film series.

Recently, it was revealed that J.J. Abrams, who helmed the 2009 reboot, has confirmed that Hemsworth will be reprising his role as the heroic George Kirk in the upcoming "Star Wars 4," which is reportedly already being planned.

The news came from journalist and "Star Trek" fan Scott Mantz, who tweeted the info on Friday, July 15.

"BREAKING!! #JJAbrams confirms to me that a 4th #StarTrek movie will bring together #ChrisPine & #ChrisHemsworth!!" he wrote.

Hemsworth's heroic George Kirk is famous for saving the lives of hundreds of people, including his wife and child. He died after crashing the USS Kelvin, of which he was first officer, into the Narada, a Romulan ship. His son, Captain James Kirk, who leads the USS Enterprise crew in the "Star Trek" franchise, never met his father but lives under his shadow.

As George Kirk is already dead, it is expected that the fourth film will delve more deeply into the concept of time travel.

When asked about their plans for "Star Trek 4," Abrams told Collider: "There's something that hopefully we're figuratively minutes away from talking about. The answer is 100 percent yes, and it's incredibly exciting."

Director Justin Lin, who helmed this year's "Star Trek Beyond," took over from Abrams, who helmed the first two "Star Trek" revival films, while the latter worked on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015). It is unclear if Abrams or Lin will be directing the fourth film.

Meanwhile, Rod Roddenberry, the son of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, has spoken up about the gay Sulu controversy that has been widely reported over the past week.

The issue arose from the revelation that the Sulu (John Cho) in the upcoming "Star Trek Beyond" is depicted as gay. The decision to do so was apparently meant to be a homage to the original Sulu, George Takei, who portrayed the character in the '60s. Unfortunately, Takei wasn't entirely pleased with the move and said that a homosexual Sulu isn't in keeping with Roddenberry's vision for the character.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Rod said of hs father, "I think he would be 100 percent in favor of a gay character in 'Star Trek.'"

Nonetheless, he also explained things from Takei's viewpoint.

"In a way, it's George's character," he said, adding, "I can understand why he feels strongly about it."

"Star Trek Beyond" drops Friday, July 22.