The follow-up to the animated children’s film, How To Train Your Dragon, will show that anyone could be gay – even a burly Viking, the franchise’s director and writer Dean DeBlois has revealed.

E! News reported that Gobber, a character voiced by US talk-show host Craig Ferguson, will “come out of the closet” and become the Isle of Berk’s “resident gay”.

In an interesting turn, it appears that Ferguson was ad-libbing when recording the voice for the film and came up with a line upon hearing another couple arguing, saying, “This is why I never got married…and one other reason”.

Director and writer Dean DeBlois, who is openly gay,  says he is considering exploring Gobber’s gay love life further in a third feature of the series, explaining, “It does make for an interesting revelation”.

Actor Jay Baruchel, who plays a leading character, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, said, “Preaching tolerance in any respect is never a bad thing. I don’t know if drawing a massive amount of attention in the middle of a kid’s movie is, like, necessarily what you should be doing, but listen, if somebody catches it, then good for them.”

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is set for UK release on July 28, 2014.