Star Trek Beyond: John Cho's Sulu is gay, in tribute to George Takei

'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'

John Cho as Hikaru Sulu

If there's any striking upside to a rebooted Star Trek universe, it's the possibility for reinvention.

In a refreshing move, the upcoming Star Trek Beyond will reveal the Enterprise's helmsman Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) as gay; with Cho telling Australia's Herald Sun, "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."

Writers Simon Pegg and Justin Lin's decision to put an LGBT character at the forefront of a major blockbuster should certainly be applauded; with the move also paying a particularly touching tribute to original Sulu actor George Takei.

Takei himself publicly came out in 2005, after Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in California, with the actor and his then-partner of 29 years becoming the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in California after its legalisation in 2008.

Indeed, Takei has worked tirelessly to further LGBT rights and has become one of the Hollywood community's most prominent activists; he recently urged the LGBT community to lead the fight for gun reform in the wake of the Orlando shootings.

With the Star Trek franchise celebrating its 50th anniversary, Sulu's newly defined identity is also a true testament to the show's original spirit, having famously featured the first interracial kiss ever screened on US TV in 1968.

Sulu was never shown to have a romantic interest on the show, so there isn't even any conflict with the original character's identity; Star Trek Generations introduced his daughter, Demora Sulu, though her origins were only ever specified in a non-canon novel. Star Trek Beyond will also show him as the father of a daughter, but will be here seen with a same-sex partner.

Star Trek Beyond hits UK cinemas 22 July.