Although The Vampire Diaries' star won't appear as Kirk until season two, it's interesting to see aspects of the early mythos of Star Trek coming together. The character of Enterprise captain Christopher Pike was introduced in the show's 1964 pilot "The Cage," which also featured Leonard Nimoy as Spock. Then, in the 1965 second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Pike was out and William Shatner as Captain Kirk was in.
Flash forward to the middle of season one of Star Trek and there's the two-part episode "The Menagerie," which incorporates much of the then-unaired "The Cage" and returns Pike — mute, seriously injured and restricted to a high-tech wheelchair — with Spock performing mutiny (despite his deep friendship with Kirk) to help Pike out.
As a result, in these two episodes what's expertly presented is the depth of the connection between Spock and Pike, as well as the friendship between Kirk and Pike. It would seem that the seeds to all of this will be planted on Strange New Worlds, which takes place about a decade before Kirk assumes the captaincy of the Enterprise.
As to the casting of Wesley, producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers issued a statement: "Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role."