'It's really unfortunate': How George Takei (who is gay himself) tried to convince creative team behind Star Trek Beyond NOT to make Sulu gay - because it 'twists' creator's vision

Star Trek alum George Takei says he is not at all happy that the character he played on screen for decades, Captain Hikaru Sulu, is to be revealed as gay in the upcoming movie, Star Trek: Beyond.  

Sulu, who has featured in the beloved series since the 1960s, will be shows as married to a man in the third installment of JJ. Abrams' film reboot. However it will mark the sci-fi franchise's first openly gay character in its 60-year history.

Screenwriter and actor Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin revealed that they had decided to make the character gay to pay homage to George Takei, who is also gay, and who played Sulu for years in the original Star Trek television series and movies. 

However Takei saw things differently and sees the character's sexuality as a distortion of the original narrative, calling the decision 'unfortunate'.

He told The Hollywood Reporter, 'I'm delighted that there's a gay character. Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry's creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate.' 

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Actor and LGBT activist George Takei says the 'Star Trek Beyond' development for his character as someone who is gay, is out of step with what creator Gene Roddenberry would have wanted

Star Trek has lived long and prospered for studio home Paramount, spawning six TV series and 13 feature films

Captain Hikaru Sulu, who has appeared in the beloved series since the 1960s, will be married to a man in the third installment of JJ. Abrams' film reboot: Star Trek Beyond (pictured played by George Takei in the 1960s, left and John Cho in the reboot, right)

Takei, 79, came out in 2005 and is a passionate activist for LGBT rights. 

He told the magazine that in 1968, when he was still closeted, he discussed with Roddenberry the topic of introducing a gay character.

Although the series' creator 'was a strong supporter of LGBT equality,' he feared that crossing that particular bridge might be too much for bosses at the TV network at the time, to handle.

Takei tells how he never specifically asked for Sulu to be gay. Furthermore, Roddenberry always envisioned the Enterprise's helmsman as heterosexual.

Takei said that when he first learned, last year, that Cho's Sulu would be revealed as gay, he appealed to director Justin Lin to instead 'create a new character' and thus honor Roddenberry's intentions.

Takei tried to explain his misgivings to Cho. 'I told him, 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted.'

The idea came from Simon Pegg, left, who plays Scotty in the new films and penned the Beyond screenplay, and director Justin Lin, right, both of whom wanted to pay homage to Takei's legacy as both a sci-fi icon and beloved LGBT activist

Takei wasn't overjoyed t the announcement that Sulu will be depicted as gay. He had never asked for Sulu to be gay. In fact, he'd much prefer that he stay straight

The idea came from Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty in the new films and penned the Beyond screenplay.

Both Pegg and Lin wanted to pay homage to Takei's legacy as both a sci-fi icon and beloved LGBT activist.

A scene was written into the new film in which Sulu is pictured with a male spouse raising their infant child.

Pegg and Lin assumed, reasonably, that Takei would be overjoyed at the development, but he wasn't.

'I really tried to work with these people when at long last the issue of gay equality was going to be addressed,' Takei said. But despite his intentions, the end result has left him 'confused. 

Sulu, pictured in the new movie with Zoe Saldana as Uhura, will be the sc-fi franchise's first openly gay character in its 60-year history

Takei also told the Hollywood Reporter that he said a similar thing to director Justin Lin, arguing that the best way to honor the 50th anniversary year of Star Trek was to create a brand new character, rather than changing an existing one. After his exchange with Lin, he was left 'feeling that that was going to happen.'

A feeling that got even stronger when he got a letter from Simon Pegg, the writer of the film, 'praising me for my advocacy for the LGBT movement and for my pride in Star Trek.'

Takai and his now-husband Brad Altman were among the first same-sex couples to apply for a marriage license in California in 2008 after it was made legal. They have been together for 29 years.  

'I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it,' said actor John Cho, who plays Sulu in the new movies. 'Which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one's personal orientations.' 

He is married to a man and is a father to a daughter with his partner, Cho.

The decision to make a long-time franchise staple character gay comes as Hollywood faces growing pressure to include more diversity in its blockbuster films.

There is yet to be an openly gay superhero or action star leading a film franchise. 

Some fans of Marvel films sparked the online hashtag 'Give Captain America A Boyfriend' in May, pushing for a same sex relationship between the hero and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier.

Other fans for Disney's animated film 'Frozen' also started an online movement for 'Give Elsa A Girlfriend,' asking Disney to make the princess character a lesbian in the upcoming sequel, gaining support from actress Idina Menzel, who voices Elsa.

Screenwriter and actor Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin revealed that they had decided to make the character gay to pay homage to George Takei who played Sulu for years in the original Star Trek television series and movies and gay out as gay in 2005 (pictured with his husband Brad)

Cho, pictured with Takei, said he liked the understated approach the writers took towards his character's sexuality

Cho was joined by other cast members of 'Star Trek Beyond' in Australia this week as they kick off promotions for the upcoming film. 

The film has been cast under a dark shadow after one of its young stars, Anton Yelchin, was tragically killed after he was crushed by his car in Los Angeles last month. 

Star Trek Beyond will world premiere in IMAX at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego on July 20 and will be in cinemas nationwide on July 22.

The trailer for the new film, released in May, gave fans a glimpse of new faces in the Trekkie universe, Idris Elba, who plays the villainous Krall, and Sofia Boutella as alien Jaylah. 

It will feature appearances by the cast as well as a live performance of Michael Giacchino's film score by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.