Casting The Captain Of 'Star Trek's' USS Discovery: Could One Of These Women Be Chosen?

We're all looking forward to the launch of the USS Discovery in 2017. At this point, casting information is slim; however, there is strong speculation that the captain could be an African-American woman. iDigitaltimes started the speculation because, in an interview with Moviefone, Bryan Fuller talked about Star Trek being a show of firsts:

Well, I think that 'Star Trek' is a show of firsts. And in researching the characters for this new iteration of 'Star Trek,' I've been talking to Mae Jemison, who's the first black woman in space, and who saw 'Star Trek' in the '60s and who saw Nichelle Nichols [as Lt. Uhura] on the bridge of a ship and said, 'I see myself in space.'So there's something wonderful about the legacy that Nichelle Nichols represents as giving a gift to people who weren't previously able to see themselves in the future. We are going to be continuing that tradition of progressive casting and progressive character work to be an inclusive world.

So far, we've only had one woman at the helm of a ship, Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager. Now the executive producers have the opportunity to bring more diversity to the cast by placing an African-American woman in the lead position. As a first, this could open new doors, and that has me considering who could occupy the chair. Here are three of my picks in order of preference:

Winning an Emmy for her role on American Crime, Regina King has proven many times over she can hold her own in any role. Her range would make her an incredible asset, and I'd love to see her in a science fiction role of this magnitude.

I've seen Kimberly Elise in almost every role she's played, and she is magical on the screen. Whether it's a jilted housewife in Diary of a Mad Black Woman or a broken-hearted mother in John Q, she can bring the drama, the anger, and the pain.

You can't watch Taraji P. Henson and not see this woman's capability. She owns the screen whenever she's on it, and it wouldn't be that difficult for her to transition from Cookie Lyons to Captain.

If any one of these three ladies were chosen as the captain of the USS Discovery, it would set the stage for a new voyage. Of course, there are plenty of other talented women out there who could take the position like Angela Bassett and Sanaa Lathan, or it's possible Fuller may decide to go with an actress who isn't as well-known. Whomever he chooses, I certainly hope speculation turns into specifics, and we get an answer soon!