The stories of intergalactic federations and interstellar voyages are yet to come to an end. The never-ending galaxies of Star Trek and Star Wars have given us layered worlds infused with lores and characters, each of whom could deliver a potential series/movie storyline. George Takei, one of the Star Trek original cast members, was once destined for a similar fate, too, but it was to no avail.
Given the many opportunities allowed by these lore-heavy worlds to explore their vast realms, George Takei’s story should have easily found a way to exist today. Unfortunately, a lack of foresight on the studio’s part shelved any such idea of a spin-off series/movie after Star Trek VI. Despite the odds stacked against him, Takei never stopped trying to get his show off the ground.
Star Trek leaves a door open for a Captain Sulu series
Behind every Star Trek character, there is an entire timeline of events, choices made, and decisions taken that could fill out a history book. Those choices and events could then be compiled into a series or a movie like that of Picard or the upcoming Section 31. Both of these projects star highly regarded actors – Sir Patrick Stewart and Michelle Yeoh respectively, who successfully branched off with their own spin-off series after starring in an ensemble one.
As such, it shouldn’t be impossible for George Takei to find a foothold in the Star Trek universe as Sulu from The Original Series. Later projects informed the viewers of his promotion to Captain of the USS Excelsior, a storyline that could have found immense fame and popularity among the original Trekkies.
However, despite the efforts of Star Trek VI to open up a door for Captain Sulu, the idea failed to gain much momentum among the studio and network executives. A subtle backdoor pilot episode was organized as well to analyze the reception of a Captain Sulu/Excelsior spin-off. Despite the turnout, the idea was ultimately shelved due to a lack of enthusiasm from the studio execs.
George Takei fights against the goliath for Sulu’s sake
When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek, it was one of the first shows to feature a multiracial cast on television. In the 1960s, it was a huge step toward the evolution of representation in media. George Takei had been a part of that evolutionary step forward by being a central cast member of Star Trek: TOS, starring alongside William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy since the first episode.
Takei’s presence in the pop culture sphere was, as a result, not only a massive win for Asians but also allowed racially diverse actors to see themselves being a part of something bigger – from being a part of an ensemble crew to leading their own titular shows one day. After Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country revealed Hikaru Sulu’s role as the Captain of the USS Excelsior, Takei was joined by a multitude of fans who campaigned for a spin-off series.
In a 2010 interview with Voyages, George Takei claimed (via TrekToday):
Back in the 1990s, Russ Haslage contacted me about a campaign to launch a new Star Trek series called Excelsior, which would have been based on the adventures of the USS Excelsior and Captain Sulu. And of course I have a deep and profound love and interest in Captain Sulu. And I must say, Russ and IFT [International Federation of Trekkers] mounted a very impressive campaign. It was a substantial idea. There was a huge following for it.
Despite the following and the widely impressive reception of Star Trek VI, Paramount neither entertained the idea of a Sulu/Excelsior spin-off nor encouraged any future involvement in the project. With time, the Excelsior spin-off idea died down, although a faction of Trekkies (along with Takei) still continues to be plagued by what a Captain Sulu spin-off would have been like.
Star Trek: The Original Series is available for streaming on Paramount+.
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