In Star Trek Beyond, Mr Sulu (John Cho, formerly played by George Takei) is revealed to be gay. Vague plot spoilers within.

Update: In a lengthy interview conducted Thursday, George Takei revealed he’s “disappointed” in the decision.

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Well, this is a wonderful surprise! While we were busy complaining about the lack of LGBT representation in Marvel and Star Wars movies, the Star Trek franchise quietly went and made history.

In Star Trek Beyond, the latest installment of the revival movie series, we learn a bit more about Hikaru Sulu — specifically, that he’s gay.

In the movie, Sulu is shown to have a same-sex partner, and the pair have a daughter together.

This awesome news comes via the Australian news outlet Herald Sun, which attended the Australian premiere of the film.

“It’s just not a big deal,” the outlet writes, which is exactly as it should be.

Says John Cho, as quoted by the Herald, “I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one’s personal orientations.”

See how easy it is? A character’s sexuality doesn’t have to be a big deal, whether they’re already in a settled relationship or whether they fall in love during the story’s run. And, just because a character has a long history doesn’t mean a new aspect of their sexuality — like every other part of their character — can’t be revealed.

Related: Hollywood is failing the LGBT community: GLAAD slams Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros.

It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time the franchise has made history. The TV series also featured one of the first interracial kisses on American network television, when Kirk and Uhura locked lips in 1968. (It was not actually the first — read more about that debunked myth here.)

And of course, the revelation of Sulu’s sexuality isn’t just newsworthy because it’s a great step towards mainstream inclusivity and representation.

It’s also a nod to the role’s originator, George Takei, who is an out actor and a fervent supporter of LGBTQ+ representation.

This is just such a wonderful, positive news story. A nice bit of optimism during a press campaign that has been understandably dampened by the tragic death of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov.

Star Trek Beyond premieres on July 22. We were already excited for this film, and now we’re even more thrilled. Let’s just hope other big franchises follow Star Trek’s brilliant example!

Your move, Disney.