For almost forty years the Alien films have been switching up gender roles and mining the rich field of metaphors for sex and sexuality. So it’s hard to believe that the subversive franchise has yet to feature any LGBT characters. Until now. With Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott is taking the long-running, constantly-evolving film series back to its roots in deep space terror,

Following suit with Prometheus, Covenant is named after the ship at the center of its narrative — this time around, a massive terraforming expedition transporting thousands of souls to a new homeland. A not-too-subtle allegory for Noah’s Ark, everyone aboard the Covenant came onboard part of a couple, two-by-two, man and wife, and in the case of Demián Bichir and Nathaniel Dean‘s characters, man and husband.

Last summer, I was lucky enough to visit the set of Alien: Covenant in Sydney, Australia where I had a chance to speak with Bichir and Dean about their characters and the unique relationship they’re bringing to the screen. And it’s not just unique because it’s the first LGBTQ relationship in the Alien-verse, but an incredibly uncommon portrayal of gay men on a much larger scale. Bichir plays Sergeant Lowe, the officer in charge of the military side of the expedition, and Dean plays his husband and colleague Sergeant Hallet, another member of the security detail. In true Alien fashion, the film is flipping conventional gender and sexuality stereotypes on their head, and the franchise’s first gay couple are “old-school” military types, consummate protectors, and as Bichir explained, macho as could be.

Bichir plays Sergeant Lowe, the officer in charge of the military side of the expedition, and Dean plays his husband and colleague Sergeant Hallet, another member of the security detail. In true Alien fashion, the film is flipping conventional gender and sexuality stereotypes on their head, and the franchise’s first gay couple are “old-school” military types, consummate protectors, and as Bichir explained, macho as could be.