'Star Trek: Discovery' lands its lead in 'The Walking Dead's' Sonequa Martin-Green
The gaping hole in the "Star Trek: Discovery" casting sheet has already been filled with the sci-fi TV series finally landing its main lead in Sonequa Martin-Green.
An exclusive report courtesy of Entertainment Weekly revealed that "The Walking Dead" actress has nabbed the protagonist of the show named Rainsford who is the lieutenant commander of the USS Discovery. While CBS has yet to make an official announcement, this development is said to be already confirmed and the network is tipped to comment on the matter soon.
This development in casting was revealed after creator Bryan Fuller left the project for good following years of developing the project for CBS. What is unknown however is whether the producer extraordinaire had a hand in choosing Martin Green for the role or not, depending on when the production has finalized the casting.
It can be remembered that what was originally tipped to be only a stepping down from showrunner duties eventually ended with Fuller severing all ties with the project. And while fans may never find out the real reason for his sudden and shocking exit, "Star Trek: Discovery" is pushing forward as a developing series for CBS with new showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts moving forward with the 47-year-old's original vision.
Back in August, Fuller shared that they were intentionally looking for a female lead for the show explaining that having a diverse cast is certainly one of their top priorities as they continue to hunt actors to board the series. Even the decision to have Rainsford play a lieutenant commander is part of the conscious effort to offer a new perspective in the massive lore as old iterations of the franchise normally tell the story from a captain's point of view.
Martin-Green jumping on the new role poses an interesting scenario as she continues to be a recurring character in "The Walking Dead." And given that the post-apocalyptic show is notorious for sudden character deaths, fans of her character, Sasha, are worried that she may be the next one to be added to the increasing body count of the AMC offering.
This is definitely an exciting new for those Trekkies who have been waiting for the franchise's TV comeback after "Star Trek Enterprise" wrapped up in 2005. It was originally set to premiere sometime in January 2017 as the first series produced and developed for CBS' new subscription streaming service, All Access, but was eventually moved to premiere in May 2017.