Star Trek: Discovery Star Responds To Critics Of The Show's Diversity

07/26/2017 11:31 am EDT

Star Trek: Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green has something to say to Star Trek fans who have responded negatively to the diverse cast of characters on the new series.

At the first ever Star Trek: Discovery panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego over the weekend, Martin-Green pointed out that diversity "has been part of the Star Trek universe from the beginning."

"If you say you love the legacy of Star Trek, but don't love (our diversity), you missed it," Martin-Green said to fans in attendance.

Producer Akiva Goldsman expressed confusion over the negative reaction from some fans, saying that, "if you love science fiction, then you love imagining yourself as something other" and that the backlash "spoke more to what's happening culturally on the internet than it did to Star Trek, because Star Trek is just about how we hold hands and move forward together."

The backlash against Star Trek: Discovery began following the first trailer. The trailer focused on two women of color, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Captain Phillipa Georgiou. Some felt that having two women of color in leading roles in the series was evidence of a hidden social or political agenda underlying Star Trek: Discovery.

Georgiou is the captain of the USS Shenzhou and not the USS Discovery. While the Shenzhou is said to be important to the story of Star Trek: Discovery, the actual titular ship is under the command of Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs), a white man.

Lorca will be a supporting character with Burnham breaking Star Trek tradition to become the first lead character who is not a captain (or otherwise highest-ranking officer).

Star Trek: Discovery diversified its cast even further by announcing that Lt. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) will be the Star Trek franchise's first openly gay character on a television series.

Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Isaacs, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, and James Frain were all in attendance for Stat Trek: Discovery's first ever Comic-Con panel, alongside Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman, Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts, Heather Kadin, and Akiva Goldsman. The panel was moderated by Star Trek: Discovery guest star Rainn Wilson, who plays Star Trek: The Original Series scoundrel Harry Mudd.

The panel concluded with the release of a brand new trailer for Star Trek: Discovery, which can be seen above.

Set 10 years prior to the five-year mission of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery follows the adventures of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship, new characters, and new missions while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres Sept. 24, 2017.

More Star Trek News: Here's Why Star Trek: Discovery's Klingons Look Different / Zachary Quinto Reveals What He Knows About Star Trek 4 / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Actor Becomes University Professor / KateMulgrew Had A Rule About Sex On Star Trek: Voyager

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