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John Cho reveals Sulu is gay in 'Star Trek: Beyond'; George Takei calls it 'unfortunate'

Takei played the character of Sulu in the original 1960s series.

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Actor John Cho's has revealed his Star Trek character Hikaru Sulu is gay but his personal life won't be a major issue in Star Trek Beyond.  The USS Enterprise helmsman will be seen in upcoming movie Star Trek Beyond as being in a same sex relationship and the father to a daughter. 

Cho, 44, is pleased with the low-key fashion in which his alter ego's personal life has been introduced to the saga, reported Ace Showbiz. "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 orientation," he said.

Cho explained writer and co-star Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin had chosen to make Sulu gay in a nod to homosexual actor George Takei, who played the character in the original 1960s series. Takei, however, told  The Hollywood Reporter that the decision to make the character was "unfortunate." “I’m delighted that there’s a gay character,” Takei said. “Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate.”

Filmmaker JJ Abrams, who rebooted the franchise in 2009 and has stayed on as producer for the upcoming third movie, previously admitted he would consider featuring a gay character.

George Takei disagrees

Takei said he spoke to Cho about the character: “I told (Cho), ‘Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted.”

"I said, 'This movie is going to be coming out on the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, the 50th anniversary of paying tribute to Gene Roddenberry, the man whose vision it was carried us through half a century. Honour him and create a new character. I urged them. He left me feeling that that was going to happen," the veteran actor told THR.

George came out as gay in 2005 after a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in California was vetoed. In 2008, he and his partner, Brad Altman, became the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in California and they tied the knot later that year. 

Takei said he got an email from Simon Pegg praising him for his advocacy in the LGBT movement which made the actor feel that the makers has taken his inputs into account and thought over the idea of making Sulu gay.

He told THR: "I really tried to work with these people when at long last the issue of gay equality was going to be addressed. I thought after that conversation with Justin that was going to happen. Months later, when I got that email from Simon Pegg, I was kind of confused. He thinks I’m a great guy? Wonderful. But what was the point of that letter? I interpreted that as my words having been heard."

Gay characters in Hollywood

The decision to make a long-time franchise staple character gay comes as Hollywood faces growing pressure to include more diversity in its blockbuster films. There is yet to be an openly gay superhero or action star leading a film franchise.

Some fans of Marvel films sparked the online hashtag "Give Captain America A Boyfriend" in May, pushing for a same sex relationship between the hero and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier.

Other fans for Disney's animated film Frozen also started an online movement for "Give Elsa A Girlfriend," asking Disney to make the princess character a lesbian in the upcoming sequel, gaining support from actress Idina Menzel, who voices Elsa.

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