The arrival of Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 can break canon in multiple ways both big and small. Kirk will be a recurring character in SNW season 2, presumably seconded to the USS Enterprise by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Pike was so impressed by an alternate universe version of Kirk in the Strange New Worlds season 1 finale that he began to take an active interest in the officer's career.
Strange New Worlds was always designed to bridge the gap between Star Trek: The Original Series' unaired pilot "The Cage", and its actual pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before". However, the announcement that Kirk would be joining the show raised eyebrows in certain corners of Star Trek fandom. While there's no definitive evidence that Kirk didn't at least visit the USS Enterprise prior to taking command in 2265, there is evidence that he didn't serve under Captain Pike. This is just one of many elements of Star Trek: TOS canon that can be broken by Kirk's role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2.
