“I DIDN’T ASK FOR A SHIRTLESS SCENE!”

John Cho is steady at the helm as Sulu returns

You worked with Justin Lin on his early independent films. How did he take to the Star Trek universe?

Bob Orci had written a script. [He and the studio] had gotten far along in the process and they decided to part ways. I understand it was amicable, but money had been spent, time had been burned, and Justin was under the gun. The release date was not moving. So he went into independent-director mode. It was time to get creative and to lean on his gut instincts. In a way he was very comfortable in that mode. I think it could lead to something special, because he was having to be mindful of what his instincts were.

as an actor who’d already worked with this cast twice, was Simon Pegg able to tailor his script for each cast member?

Simon just knows the Star Trek universe very well. Then he knows us as people. He leaned into that knowledge of us as people, and our friendships, and tailored some moments to us as people. I think it enriched the process.

apparently Simon asked the cast if they had any requests for their characters. what was your response?

I wanted Sulu to advance emotionally.

we’re told Sulu now has a daughter...

Right. That complicates the mission in a weird way and makes it personal. Every character in this one, their belief system is challenged a little bit, and his family complicates his belief system as it relates to Starfleet… I didn’t ask for a shirtless scene [laughs]. Joseph McCabe