George Takei, speaking in an interview with Digital Spy, expressed his excitement for Star Trek: Discovery and its showrunner, Bryan Fuller. Takei also declared his interest in reprising the role of Hikaru Sulu on the new show.
Takei is very happy that Star Trek is returning to television, telling Digital Spy:
“The potential for storytelling in the new TV version is going to be enormous and absolutely tantalising. I’m sure with Bryan Fuller at the helm of the TV series, it’s going to have that Gene Roddenberry element.”
Takei feels that Fuller will have the opportunity to deal more specifically with the issues of our time. When asked if he would be willing to reprise the role of Sulu on Discovery, Takei said:
“As long as they want me to, I’ll be there. I’m proud of my association with Star Trek and I want to see it live even longer and prosper even more than it already has!”
For the full article, including his thoughts on the Kelvin Timeline films, check out Digital Spy.
George could play Sulu’s grandfather, the one who taught him fencing and the use of body lube products.
I’d love to see George Takei back as Sulu.
Me too.
How??? It’s a P-R-Equel.
What else should he say?
Dear God, No. No time travel. Please Lords of Kobol, NO.
excuse me please, english very carzy. what is lord of kobol? is this pop group?
sergei,
Re:Lords of Kobol
Original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA reference
Greetings komrade Sergei! Lords of Kobol is group of elderly programmers of Cobol computer language, da
Victor Hugo,
Oh lord, that means I’m one of them. Where did I put that decoder ring?
First thing I thought too. He might have been unaware of the timeline at the time of the interview. It would come across as contrived just to get them in the show. I’d be Ok with the original cast having cameos as new characters though.
Indeed, he spoke like a true politician, he wishes all the success but has no idea about what it is
I hope they keep this jerk as far away from Star Trek as possible.
We reach.
I have got to agree with you, yet again! Sulu was/is a good character. Takei, and the way he keeps feuding alive and well, well. . . It seems he could have been the poster child of the previous thread about mental illness. He needs to enjoy his Trek on the tube and the screen(!) like the rest of us and no where near the set.
Im not sure if I should be excited that a poster named “Grumpy” agrees with me routinely. lol But Ill take it!
GT is a jerk who should be sending royalty payments to William Shatner on a weekly basis.
@grumpy So you’re saying Takei has anxiety or depression?
Yes he wants Trek to prosper…unless they dont take his direction on the portrayal of Sulu, in which case he will publicly criticize a new film before its launch. Jerk.
Now if the Producers want to stunt cast him as some character other than Sulu, then more power to them. But if I were running that show I wouldn’t let Takei near it.
Love to see takei back time travel future sulu when he’s on the excelcer would be good.
Overreact much?
Come on guys! All the years of awesome Sulu action, and you want to condemn him for a few statements in which he simply shared his honest opinion. Some ‘fans’ we have on this site! If it was done well i would love to see him reprise the role. I cant think of a way for that to happen but im open to the possibility!!
Time travel has been done to death. Its even apparently going to be used in the next JJVerse film to bring back George Kirk.
No More Time Travel.
i think it would be better and more interesting to use the Talosians (The Cage), no time travel involved.
Really love george. He keeps it real, even though some of the fans don’t like when he goes off at the mouth, but it would be cool to see him back in action. Really wish the new series was an anthology with each season centering on a different era.
He shouldn’t be
AICN apparently confirmed some major information about DSC that seems to have gone under the radar: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/75945
Specifically this:
“When I asked creator-showrunner Bryan Fuller if he could describe the lead character’s rank, he replied “lieutenant commander.” A few minutes later though Fuller told me exclusively “she will hold many ranks.”“
Is she a Trill?
Maybe she’s long-lived, genetically enhanced, part-alien, a realistic ‘time traveller’ (at some stage, she travels at sub-light speed, meaning time dilation – something I’m not sure was ever properly dealt with in any Trek show before) or periodically goes into cryogenic freeze.
Half Romulan, recruited into Section 31.
Or perhaps she simply gets promoted a few times over the course of the series.
“Is she a Trill?”
That’s one possible explanation. Others could be some combination of: Starfleet Intelligence agent on multiple undercover missions and/or time-travel and/or unusually long lifespan.
I’m hoping the new show will be set over decades or even centuries, allowing us to encounter, in passing, many of the past characters, so we can eventually see a non-dead Jim Kirk again, along with Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, moving on to TNG-era characters, then into new territory.
Think how Robin Hood features in Ivanhoe, but Locksley isn’t the main character. For me, it will feel like a bigger, more cohesive universe or ‘saga’ if the past characters don’t particularly have big roles, but their existence is simply acknowledged.
In moving forward, there’s always the opportunity to tie up any serious loose ends as the story goes along, so we get a chance to say a brief proper farewell to the remaining original cast, especially say goodbye to Picard, Riker and co properly, given the dismal end to TNG, and proceed to look at what happens long after they’ve all gone.
So if George Takei wants to appear and there’s a good storytelling reason for it to happen, break a leg, I say!
See, the producers ruled out original series guest-starring when they made it another prequel. I wish they had placed it between The Undiscovered Country and The Next Generation. Besides filling the gaps of a period of time people are curious about, they could have had the original stars that are still alive guest occasionally. I would have loved to see the ship designs going forward from the movies, instead of backwards.
Unless the lead character rises through the ranks very quickly, the series could well take place over many years. Ten years before TOS seems like an interesting ’embarkation point.’
Also, if it’s successful, who’s to say there won’t be more shows? Look how Marvel are releasing 20-30 Netflix episodes a year using more or less independent creative teams working under an overseer.
I’d say wait and see: we know little yet. For all we know, season two could be set between TOS and TMP or something. The anticipation should be fun!
George Takei: the new Star Trek films are just “surface entertainment” – the original movies had an “added dimension”
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-10-10/george-takei-the-new-star-trek-films-are-just-surface-entertainment—the-original-movies-had-an-added-dimension
@Cygnus-X1
Me and the missus enjoyed STB, but Takei sure got that right!
Vokar Today 6:21 pm
I still haven’t seen STB, but I keep talking to people that liked ST09 and STID, but thought that STB was bad, stupid or both. And these aren’t particularly picky viewers. These are mainstream viewers just looking to have a good time at the movies, and they’re giving STB the thumbs-down. I’m expecting to find STB in between ST09 and STID in terms of watchability and enjoyment—but maybe, like so many people I’ve heard from, I’ll find it’s the worst of the three. One thing that’s becoming clear to me, based on reactions from people that I know, is that the main problem with STB doesn’t seem to have been the advertising strategy or any other market-related condition or factor, but simply the quality of the movie, itself.
I find it bizarre that anyone would prefer STID over Beyond. So they enjoyed seeing Khan In Name Only but didn’t like having an original villain whose plot twist (I won’t give it away) actually made sense? They enjoyed shameless ripoff “homages” to Wrath of Khan but didn’t like dynamic new characters like Jaylah? They were happy with a movie in Star Trek drag about a crazy terrorist bombing London over an actual Star Trek movie that takes place in an unexplored planet?
Translation – “The films I was in are great. The ones I’m not in suck”. Gawd how transparent. If he had a role or a cameo in the new films he wouldn’t say that. I wonder if Nimoy was still around if he’s say the same thing. Of course not, Nimoy was a classy guy. Takei just like talking about good his husband tastes. And yes, he publicly said that. He’s got no class. Just another bitter old actor trying to suck up to get in good with the makers of this crappy new show so he can get a job.
Admiral Nagura perhaps?
Best they stick him in a ‘mugato’ suit if they decide to include him in this.
Hasn’t he read, in what time period DIS will play? He is way too old to play someone around 20. I wouldn’t mind seeing a young Sulu, but please played by a new actor.
Mel,
Re: way too old to play someone around 20
I suppose the feasibility of his playing 20 could hinge on whether the first series did a life mask as was done for other actors in the first series [page 174]:
https://www.profilesinhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/62S-final.pdf
Im not sure how they did it (actor, CGI, combination of both), but Westworld had scenes with a young Anthony Hopkins. There is always a way, though re-casting would be the easiest.
I’d just as soon not see this guy anywhere near the new series. If you want to stunt cast a TOS character,there is only one worth doing.
“Oh my!” This would be cool. I wonder how they could work him into a story? – Perhaps as Sulu’s grandfather. Hmmmm.
Xplodin_Nacelle,
Or maybe they could use that android research we both saw to furnish him with an artifical meat puppet face that would look like whatever Sulu the story required?
well at least someone is.