A few months ago,Star Trek BeyonddirectorJustin Linteased that he wanted to “deconstruct” the entireStar Trekfranchise with this sequel, in honor of its 50th Anniversary this year. While he wouldn’t delve into specifics, the filmmaker said they would be “poking at a lot of different things”, while also teasing shortly thereafter that there would be 50 different alien species on display. Today we have confirmation that this sequel will showcase the first gay character in the history of this storied franchise.
Australia’sHerald Suncaught up withJohn Choduring a promotional event in Sydney, where it was confirmed that his characterHikaru Suluis in fact gay. In the film, which opens July 22, he is portrayed as a loving father of a daughter and also has a same-sex partner. When asked about the decision by writer/starSimon Peggto make Sulu gay,John Chohad this to say.
“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 politicize one’s personal orientations.”
The reveal certainly fits within the spirit of the original seriesGene Roddenberryfirst created, which became well-known for its trail-blazing ways. The series showcased television’s first ever interracial kiss between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and the introduction of a Russian character like Chekov (Walter Koenig) was considered groundbreaking, since the show debuted at the height of the Cold War. The franchise’s trailblazing ways will certainly continue inStar Trek Beyondafter this reveal.
It’s worth noting that, just a few months ago,John Chohimself teased that the movie feels like the “best of the original series.” It will be interesting to see how the fans react to this reveal, or if it will have any impact on its box office performance. The sci-fi sequel opens July 22 going up against Warner Bros.' thrillerLights Out. Stay tuned for more updates onStar Trek Beyondas soon as more information comes in.
