For months now, fans and people from the LGBT community have been pushing the envelope for more diversity in film and television roles. While there clearly is a lack in diversity (remember #OscarsSoWhite?), there have been campaigns pushing for more gays and lesbians to take the center stage in the next big Marvel movie. Just Google "Give Captain America a Boyfriend" and one will see just how many are actually supporting the idea (and also Google's notification that Peggy Carter is his significant other).
With this new kind of thinking also comes backlash, especially for characters that have been established as straight. Take for example, "Star Trek"'s Hikaru Sulu, who was originally played by George Takei in the original 1960's "Star Trek" series. Takei came out as a gay man back in 2005, admitting that he had been with his partner of 18 years, Brad Altman. The 79-year old actor is also an activist and a passionate proponent for LGBT rights. However, it seems that the actor isn't very pleased about the recent claims that the Hikaru Sulu in the J.J. Abrams' reboot of the 1960's classic is in fact gay.
The stars of "Star Trek Beyond" is currenty in Australia to promote the film, and actor John Cho, who plays Sulu in the movie, has spoken out on the character's sexuality. The 44-year old actor, whose iconic appearance in the "American Pie" film popularized the term "MILF," admitted that screenwriter Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin decided to make Sulu gay in honor of Takei. Cho told the Herald Sun that they didn't want to "make a big thing out [of] it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicise one’s personal orientations."
Takei, on the other hand, is not pleased. He told The Hollywood Reporter that while he is "delighted" that "Star Trek Beyond" has a gay character in its story, he believes that "it’s a twisting of Gene [Roddenberry]’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate."
Now, whether or not fans delight or reject the film's gay reimagining of Sulu remains to be seen, as "Star Trek Beyond" opens in theaters this July 22.