‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Casts ‘Walking Dead’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green As Lead
After scouring the universe in search of a lead,Star Trek: Discoveryhas finally found one.Sonequa Martin-Green, who currently stars onThe Walking Dead, will play the lieutenant commander aboard the U.S.S. Discovery. It’s the latest in a wave of exciting casting news for the sci-fi series, which is scheduled to launch on CBS All Access next year.
Entertainment Weeklybroke theStar Trek DiscoverySonequa Martin-Green news. I have to admit I have never closely followedStar TrekorThe Walking Dead, but our residentStar Trekexpert andWalking Deadfan Jacob Hall assures me Martin-Green is an excellent choice. She will spearhead a cast thatalso includesAnthony Rappas “astromycologist” Lt. Staments;Doug Jonesas alien science officer Lt. Saru; andMichelle Yeohas Captain Georgiou, of another ship called the Shenzhou. Earlier this week,Chris Obi,Shazad Latif, andMary Chieffowere cast asa trio of Klingon warriors.
If you’re wondering what this means for Martin-Green’sWalking Deadcharacter, fret not. The actress will reportedly continue her regular role as Sasha. Which isn’t to say Sasha is necessarily safe, of course, since no one really is. Just that you can rest assured Martin-Green’s casting inStar Trek: Discoveryisn’t some kind of tragic spoiler. (Or at least, that that’s what the inside sources would like you to believe.) BesidesThe Walking Dead, Martin-Green’s credits include recurring stints onOnce Upon a Time,The Good Wife, andArmy Wives.
From the outset,Bryan Fullerhas been very clear that he wantedStar Trek: Discoveryto havea diverse cast. He has stressed that the series would feature a female lead (Martin-Green), an openly gay character (Rapp), and more aliens than your usualStar Trekadventure. Although hestepped down as showrunnerseveral weeks ago, it looks like the series is committed to carrying out that stated mission. Then again,Star Trekhas always been about acceptance and inclusivity. It just makes sense that this latest iteration of the franchise would reflect those themes.
Otherwise, plot details are scarce. We knowStar Trek: Discoverywill be set in the Prime timeline (as opposed to the Kelvin timeline where the recent movies take place), roughly a decade before the events of the originalStar TrekTV series.Gretchen BergandAaron Harbertsare serving as showrunners, replacing Fuller, and the whole thing is set to launch in May 2017.
