John Cho Says Sulu's Gay Kiss Cut From 'Star Trek Beyond'

While it hasn’t reached “Ghostbusters” like propositions, this weekend’s “Star Trek Beyond” has a minor “controversy” (if you can even call it that) all its own. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Sulu would be gay in ‘Beyond,’ but the news was met with disapproval by George Takei, who originally played the character. Even though he’s out himself after struggling for years in the closet in Hollywood, and while the writers of ‘Beyond’ addressed Sulu’s sexuality in tribute to Takei, he felt it was disrespectful to Gene Rodenberry‘s work, and that there could’ve been another way to introduce a gay character to the “Star Trek” universe. It got many involved in the film defending the decision around Sulu, but there’s another element that will likely get the conversation started once again.

READ MORE: ‘Star Trek’ Never Goes Beyond Its Familiar Orbit, But Entertains Nonetheless [Review]

“There was a kiss that I think is not there anymore,” Cho told Vulture, about the sequence in which we see Sulu briefly reconnect with his partner and daughter, while the crew of the Enterprise make a pit stop at a Federation city. Indeed, there was a bit more to the scene that was cut.

“It wasn’t like a make-out session. We’re at the airport with our daughter. It was a welcome-home kiss. I’m actually proud of that scene, because it was pretty tough. Obviously, I just met the kid, and then [screenwriter] Doug [Jung, who plays Sulu’s partner] is not an actor. I just wanted that to look convincingly intimate,” he explained. “We’re two straight guys and had to get to a very loving, intimate place. It was hard to do on the fly. We had to open up. It came off well, in my view.”

I would wager that director Justin Lin was trying to balance being casual about the revelation, and overselling the moment, and I can’t say I fault the decision. It was probably a tough to figure out just how long to linger on the character detail, before it tips into being only about Sulu’s sexual orientation.

Thoughts? Let us know below. And go see “Star Trek Beyond” this weekend — it’s actually way better than the trailers would make you believe.