Paramount
John Cho as Sulu in "Star Trek."
The third installment of J.J. Abrams' film reboot is giving John Cho's Hikaru Sulu a daughter and same-sex partner, meaning he will be the first openly gay character in the "Star Trek" franchise.
The decision, which came from director Justin Lin and writer Simon Pegg, is a nod to George Takei, who played Sulu in the original 1960s series. Takei came out in 2005 and is an activist for LGBT rights.
"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," Cho told the Herald Sun.
"Star Trek" has broken barriers before. The original series also featured the first televised interracial kiss between William Shatner's James Kirk and Nichelle Nichols' Uhura.
"Star Trek Beyond" will premiere nationwide on July 22.