Since his time playing Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, New Zealand-born Karl Urban has shown his range by starring in some projects very different from Star Trek. Karl Urban first played Dr. McCoy in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film in 2009, alongside Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock. Taking place in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Abrams' movies follow the early adventures of the USS Enterprise and her crew. In both the Prime timeline and the Kelvin timeline, Dr. McCoy eventually becomes the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise, and Urban mastered Bones' Southern charms in a pitch-perfect tribute to the late DeForest Kelley.
After the success and positive reception of Star Trek (2009), two sequels were made: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Karl Urban played Dr. McCoy in all three films and was slated to reprise the role for the fourth Star Trek film. Despite being in some form of development since 2015, Star Trek 4 remains in limbo. Though most of the main actors have stated they would like to return, even they have very little information about when or if the film will be made. Karl Urban has landed several big roles since his time as Bones, including one of the lead roles on Amazon's irreverent superhero show, The Boys.
Karl Urban's Best Acting Roles After Star Trek Beyond
In his most well-known role since Star Trek Beyond, Karl Urban leads the cast of Amazon Prime's The Boys as Billy Butcher alongside fellow Star Trek actor Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell. Billy Butcher takes Dr. McCoy's grumpiness and dials it up to eleven, but that is about all the two characters have in common. As the leader of the vigilante group known as The Boys, Butcher has made it his life's mission to bring an end to superheroes. Based on the Garth Ennis comic book series of the same name, The Boys has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys and has earned praise from both audiences and critics.
In the same year Star Trek Beyond was released, Karl Urban appeared as Gavin in Disney's Pete's Dragon. In 2017, Urban became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Skurge in the incredibly fun Thor: Ragnarok. Before Urban took up the role of Billy Butcher in 2019, he starred in a few smaller movies including, Acts of Vengeance (2017), Hangman (2017), and Bent (2018). Most recently, in 2022, Urban voiced the main character in Netflix's charming animated comedy, The Sea Beast, which received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.
No One Has Played Bones McCoy In Star Trek Since Karl Urban
Unlike his Star Trek counterparts, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy has not been played by any other actor since Karl Urban's portrayal of the character in Star Trek Beyond. In the Prime Star Trek universe depicted in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Ethan Peck has taken on the role of Spock, while Paul Wesley has become the latest actor to portray James T. Kirk. Strange New Worlds takes place several years before Dr. McCoy becomes the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise, but it's still possible Bones could make an appearance at some point.
Now that the Star Trek franchise has seemingly moved its focus back to the Prime Universe and its Paramount+ projects, it's unclear whether the cast from the Kelvin timeline movies will reprise their roles. Whether or not Karl Urban takes a break from killing supes as Billy Butcher to return to the Enterprise anytime soon, many fans would love to see a proper send-off for Urban's Dr. McCoy and the rest of the Kelvin timeline Star Trek crew.