▁The ▁script ▁stated ▁that ▁Kirk ▁was ▁ 4 9 , ▁but ▁Sh at ner ▁was ▁uns ure ▁about ▁being ▁specific ▁about ▁Kirk ' s ▁age . ▁Ben nett ▁rem embers ▁that ▁Sh at ner ▁was ▁hes it ant ▁about ▁port ray ing ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁version ▁of ▁himself , ▁and ▁believed ▁that ▁with ▁proper ▁make up ▁he ▁could ▁continue ▁playing ▁a ▁younger ▁Kirk . ▁Ben nett ▁convinced ▁Sh at ner ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁age ▁grace fully ▁like ▁Sp encer ▁T racy ; ▁the ▁producer ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁that ▁Sh at ner ▁had ▁worked ▁with ▁T racy ▁on ▁Jud gment ▁at ▁N ure m berg ▁( 1 9 6 1 ), ▁and ▁was ▁fond ▁of ▁the ▁actor . ▁Meyer ▁made ▁sure ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁Kirk ' s ▁parallel ▁to ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes ▁in ▁that ▁both ▁characters ▁waste ▁away ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁their ▁stim uli ; ▁new ▁cases , ▁in ▁Hol mes ' ▁case , ▁and ▁star ship ▁advent ures ▁in ▁Kirk ' s . ▁ ▁Khan ' s ▁purs uit ▁of ▁Kirk ▁is ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁film ' s ▁theme ▁of ▁ven ge ance , ▁and ▁The ▁W r ath ▁of ▁Khan ▁deliber ately ▁bor rows ▁heavily ▁from ▁H erman ▁Mel ville ' s ▁M oby - D ick . ▁To ▁make ▁the ▁par alle ls ▁clear ▁to ▁view ers , ▁Meyer ▁added ▁a ▁visible ▁copy ▁of ▁M oby - D ick ▁to ▁Khan ' s ▁dwell ing . ▁Khan ▁liber ally ▁par ap hr ases ▁A hab , ▁with ▁"