Which actor played David Marcus in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock?

Merritt Butrick played David Marcus in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

David Marcus is the son of Admiral James T. Kirk and the late scientist Carol Marcus. He was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where he worked with his mother on the Genesis Project and learned that Kirk was his father.

In The Search for Spock, David serves aboard the USS Grissom with Saavik while investigating the newly formed Genesis Planet. His involvement connects the film to both the Genesis device and Kirk’s family history. The character’s fate becomes one of the film’s most consequential emotional events.

Merritt Butrick originated the role in The Wrath of Khan and returned for The Search for Spock. He is sometimes confused with Kirstie Alley or Robin Curtis, who played Saavik in the two films, or with James Doohan, who played Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott.