Out actor George Takei has criticized
producers of the film Star Trek: Beyond for not going far
enough with their outing of Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS
Enterprise.
John Cho plays Sulu in the JJ Abrams
franchise reboot. In Beyond, Sulu is seen raising a daughter
with his same-sex partner.
Cho has said that making the character
gay was a nod to Takei, who played Sulu in the original NBC series
and came out gay in 2005.
But Takei called the reveal “very
unfortunate.”
As the film heads to streaming services
and DVD, Takei said the outing didn't go far enough, adding that he
had hoped for a kiss.
“They talked about Sulu becoming gay,
but it was such a tentative thing,” Takei
told Digital
Spy. “Shakespeare said it: Full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.”
“Sulu comes back, picks up the little
girl and hugs her, and then puts his arm around a guy and they walk
off – not even a kiss,” Takei added.