Star Trek: Discovery's Wilson Cruz has praised the "infinite diversity" of the franchise's storytelling.
The actor, who plays Dr Hugh Culber on the sci-fi series, spoke at the Dragon Con convention about the progressive nature of the series.
"Star Trek is defined as infinite diversity in infinite combinations," he said (via Variety). "If that's true, and if that is our aim, progress towards that has to be modeled.
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"That's what science fiction does for us, it helps us imagine what that's going to look like… and that is inherently political."
It comes after star Sonequa Martin-Green (who plays Captain Michael Burnham) addressed critics of Discovery in July, notably those who suggest that the show has strayed too far from the original Star Trek formula.
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"The fanbase for the franchise as a whole and the fanbase for Discovery, in particular, is a highly intellectual, loyal crowd," she said.
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"These are very intelligent people who have such a depth of passion and heart and loyalty to the franchise, so they have an ownership; they've carried it with them for years and it's meant a lot to them.
"So, because of that, their voices deserve to be heard and we appreciate their voices, even if they are in disagreement with us. Even if they're criticising, it's like, 'I get where you're coming from, though – it's because this means a lot to you.'"
She added: "And there are many people who are like, 'But I love the changes'. There's so many different perspectives and isn't that the whole point? That's the whole part of diversity and inclusion, everybody's got to be represented."
Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1-4 are available on Paramount+ now.
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Audible Star Trek: Picard: No Man's Land: An Original Audio Drama
Pocket Books/Star Trek Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours by David Mack
Pocket Books/Star Trek Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward
Eaglemoss Publications Ltd Star Trek: Designing Starships Volume 4 – Discovery
Titan Books Ltd Star Trek Discovery: The Official Collector's Edition
IDW Publishing Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath by Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson and Tony Shasteen
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
