'Star Trek: Discovery' Star Sonequa Martin-Green Addresses Racist Comments

"Star Trek: Discovery" star Sonequa Martin-Green addressed racist criticism she received from fans about being cast in the film during an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Thursday. Green is the first member of the movie to speak out on the backlash for her starring role in the upcoming CBS show.

The televised reboot is set to hit the silver screen Sunday, Sept. 24.

Read: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Air Date Finally Revealed

Since "The Walking Dead" star is the first black woman to nab a leading role in the "Star Trek" franchise, many self-proclaimed fans opposed it. However, Green shared with EW what she would like to say to unsupportive fans.

"I would encourage them to key into the essence and spirit of 'Star Trek' that has made it the legacy it is — and that’s looking across the way to the person sitting in front of you and realizing you are the same, that they are not separate from you, and we are all one," Martin-Green told EW. "That's something 'Star Trek' has always upheld and I completely believe that is why it’s been a mainstay in society in the hearts of so many people for so many decades."

She continued, saying: "I would encourage them to look past their opinions and social conditioning and key into what we’re doing here — which is telling a story about humanity that will hopefully bring us all together."

Martin-Green sees her casting as progression within the franchise. Likewise, she's happy to be a part of the change.

"I'm incredibly proud to be the lead of this show and be at the forefront of an iteration of 'Star Trek' that's from the eyes of a black woman that's never been done before, though obviously there’s been other forms of diversity that have been innovated by 'Trek,'" Martin-Green added. "I feel like we're taking another step forward, which I think all stories should do. We should go boldly where nobody has gone before and stay true to that."

"Star Trek: Discovery" is set to follow Martin-Green's character — Lt. Commander Michael Burnhamon — on her journey to becoming the first officer of the USS Discovery.

Read: Will Sonequa Martin-Green Be Killed Off ‘The Walking Dead’? Find Out How ‘Star Trek’ Filming Will Affect Sasha

Since the "Star Trek" franchise is known for its progressive take on social issues, the initial backlash comes as a surprise.

During the show's premiere season in the 1960s, it featured a diverse and multicultural cast. The original show was also the first television series to debut an interracial kiss, according to History.com.

While Martin-Green's casting may have struck a nerve with some Trekkers, the news regarding CBS' decision to feature an openly gay character on the new project didn't receive the same negative feedback. Played by "Rent" star Anthony Rapp, this marks the first time that a "Star Trek" show would introduce a gay character to its roster.

In a June interview with Collider, producer Alex Kurtzman addressed this creative decision.

"I don’t feel that — going back to what you said about where television is at right now, it would be foolish of us to not only ignore it but not to take advantage of the fact that that’s how people are consuming stories and they’re hungrier for more complicated stories," Kurtzman told Collider. "What would have been a taboo subject 10, 15 years ago is now everywhere, and that’s a beautiful thing."

Kurtzman also spoke on the delays that pushed the show further away from its initial January 2017 release date.

"We postponed our schedule because the truth is we did not want to put out something that was subpar, and as the vision expanded we started feeling like we weren’t gonna be able to deliver the scope and the scale that was on the page. And CBS was extremely supportive," he added.

Martin Green's character's commanding officer of Captain Philippa Georgiou is played by Asian actress Michelle Yeoh.

Seeing that the modern television world is a very different and progressive platform, fans who initially provided their disapproval may warm up to the new direction of the show. Shows like "Orange Is The New Black," "The Fosters," "Glee" and more have helped to pave the way for diversity in many forms.

While more improvements can be made to create diversity in television, CBS' "Star Trek: Discovery" could help to do so.