With anticipation growing for Paramount Pictures‘ Star Trek Beyond, Sulu actor John Cho has revealed to the Herald Sun that the Enterprise helmsman will be revealed as gay and the father of a daughter with a same sex partner in the new film. This is in keeping with the utopian spirit of the franchise, which has always carried a progressive viewpoint whether it be to depict a Russian crew member (Pavel Chekov) during the height of the Cold War, or TV’s first interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura as Civil Rights issues raged in the U.S. The revelation is also a tribute to original Sulu portrayer George Takei, who came out in recent years and has since become a vocal activist for LGBTQ rights.
“I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicise one’s personal orientations,” said Cho.
A Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions film, Star Trek Beyond is set to feature the return of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin and John Cho along with new roles for Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella and Joe Taslim. J.J. Abrams, who directed the last two films, is producing the third film in the rebooted franchise. Lin is directing from a script by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung.
RELATED: The New Star Trek Beyond Trailer is Here!
Look for Star Trek Beyond to hit the big screen July 22. That’s about two months before the Star Trek franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary. “The Man Trap” became the first broadcast episode of the original Star Trek when it aired on NBC September 8, 1966. Since then, the franchise has had five different television spinoffs and more than a dozen feature films. A new television series is also on the way in 2017 with Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, American Gods) serving as co-creator and executive producer. You can click here to watch the new Star Trek teaser!
What do you think of this new development in Sulu’s character? Are you excited to check this one out on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below!
