Actress Nicole Maines has become the first transgender person to be cast in a superhero role.

The trans activist has been chosen to play Nia Nal in the fourth series of Supergirl .

Casting news: the first transgender superhero ever on television is Nicole Maines playing Dreamer! Huge applause as she walks onstage, making history. #Supergirl #SDCC18

— Sydney Bucksbaum (@SydneyBucksbaum) July 21, 2018

Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Zon-El, a superhero who was sent to Earth from her home planet, where she embraces her powers.

Maines said how this was the kind of character that television needed right now, and that she wished that there had been a character like this when she was growing up.

The news was unveiled during San Diego's comic-con to the delight of fans across the world.

First look at the actress who’s playing the new trans superhero on #Supergirl at Comic-Con. #SDCC #SupergirlSDCC pic.twitter.com/M8bq0QtIi6

— CinemaBlend @ SDCC (@CinemaBlend) July 21, 2018

Maines told Variety, "We had trans people on television portrayed by cis men as sex workers and drug addicts which painted a very specific image and having trans women portrayed by cis men contributed to the idea that we are men in dresses and that was damaging for a long time".

"So now, it's very relieving and hopeful to watch creators and writers and directors and casting offices stepping up to to put trans people in trans roles".

"We've had trans representation on television for a while but it hasn't been the right representation," says Nicole Maines, who will play TV's first trans superhero on #Supergirl https://t.co/xsvh5qAJZ3 pic.twitter.com/P9BVkbUY96

— Variety (@Variety) July 22, 2018

Supergirl season 4 is scheduled for release on Sunday, October 14th. Check out the trailer below: