Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Vacation" at the Regency Village Theatre on July 27, 2015. Hemsworth is set to reprise his role as George Kirk from 2009's "Star Trek" in an upcoming Trek film.

(Chris Pizzello, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Another "Star Trek" movie is in the works and superstar Chris Hemsworth is set to appear in it. Paramount Pictures confirmed the fourth film in the sci-fi reboot series Monday evening and said Hemsworth will reprise his role from 2009's "Star Trek."

Observant fans remember that Hemsworth appeared briefly in that film's prologue as protagonist James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk.

George met an untimely end steering his starship toward an attacking Romulan warship to give his crew time to escape.

The elder Kirk died just as his son was born, making his role in the upcoming Trek film a bit of a mystery. But a Paramount Pictures press release announcing the new movie indicates his character has a large part in the story.

"Chris Pine's Captain Kirk will cross paths with a man he never had a chance to meet but whose legacy has haunted him since the day he was born: his father," the release said.

"Star Trek" has reincarnated dead characters before. James Kirk's first officer and close friend Spock died at the end of 1982's "The Wrath of Khan," only to be resurrected at the beginning of the next movie.

It's also possible that the elder Kirk appears in a dream or flashback.

Paramount has yet to announce the upcoming film's director, premiere date and official title.

The fourth Trek film comes on the heels of 2016's "Star Trek: Beyond," which garnered mostly favorable reviews but made less money than its predecessors, leaving the future of the series in doubt until Paramount confirmed "Star Trek 4."