One has to wonder that, if he had lived, how Jeffrey Hunter would have felt when Star Trek became huge. Would he have regretted missing out on the fame and fortune that came with being the captain of the Enterprise?

Of course, the reason he passed on continuing as Christopher Pike, when Star Trek went to series, is because of his then wife, Joan Bartlett. She wife kept making demands like "My Jeff wants this, my Jeff wants that" and so on. At one point, Gene Roddenberry said that he'd rather that Jeff Hunter bring in a gorilla!

Finally, he convinced him that he was a "movie star" and should not take the part. And he listened to her.

Should have taken the role, Jeff.

At one point, Gene Roddenberry said that he'd rather that Jeff Hunter bring in a gorilla!

I remember that line from an episode, circa 2000 or so, of the "E" channel series Mysteries and Scandals that dealt with Jeffrey Hunter. Which you can watch here. (Have at it, before the show is removed from You Tube. )(The "E" channel used to have some interesting stuff on it. Before it became All "Kar-Trash-Ians" All The Time.)

Just watched it.

Too bad there is no Sam Beckett, who could quantum leap back and make sure Jeffrey Hunter took the role as Captain Pike when Trek went to series.

Things would have gone much better for him if he had.

Most of the time I just watch The Cage pilot on its own, so that I can get the full effect and full screen time of the 'other' Enterprise crew, rather than The Menagerie. It's in my Top 5 episodes of the entire series, and I never get tired of it, because of what might have been. Not just because of Captain Pike, but we'd have Number One, Doctor Boyce, and different helm and communications officers instead of McCoy, Sulu, and Uhura.

It's been written (unfairly based on one pilot episode) that Pike wouldn't have had the warmth and humor of Kirk, because he's depressed about losing crewmen, doesn't want to remain captain so he can be a trader, and is very violent ("You try anything and I'll break your neck!").
That's unfair, because if Pike had gotten episodes like 'The Enemy Within', 'Miri', and 'City on the Edge of Forever', he would have had to be written much differently over time, and more in line with what scripts Shatner was given.

It is, though, kinda hard to picture Pike in episodes like The Trouble With Tribbles and I, Mudd where humor is at the forefront of the story.

Not just because of Captain Pike, but we'd have Number One, Doctor Boyce, and different helm and communications officers instead of McCoy, Sulu, and Uhura.

I seem to think the network didn't want most of the supporting characters, particularly a female second in command.

Which was good for Spock's character as Roddenberry took Number One's less emotional portrayal and transfered it to Spock. Just imagine a Star Trek series with an emotional Mr. Spock?

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the network not liking 9 out of 10 crewmen!
Anyways, I was also imagining what Star Trek would have looked like had the network okayed everyone in the pilot.

Pike would have been altered substantially had Hunter not been browbeaten by his wife and done the series.

I'm sure he would have. As to what those changes would have been, alas, we'll never know.

Also Kirk only met Pike at the handover of the Enterprise and when they delivered him to Talos. The whole idea of Pike being a mentor to Kirk was a Trekboot idea, not Classic Trek.

Plus they would have had to come up with a way to get Pike off of Talos IV.