The BBC One soap is hoping to introduce a trans character who will be played by a trans actor.
Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said: “The power of EastEnders is to change the world. So you change it gently.
“I am intending to [include a trans character]. I would want to cast a trans actor. You have to – you have to cast a trans actor, but you also don’t want to mess up the story because it reaches so many people and a lot of our audience are quite traditional.
“The pen hasn’t hit the paper yet. I am looking for actors and I need the right character.
“What we like to do on EastEnders is do all our research first. We try and do our research and get it all in our heads.”
The move would bring EastEnders up to date with rival soaps Coronation Street and Hollyoaks who have both previously included transgender story lines.
Corrie introduced transsexual Hayley Cropper 17 years ago and Hollyoaks had teen Jasmine Costello who started living as a man called Jason.
Hollyoaks also currently has a regular trans character in the form of Blessing Chambers.
However EastEnders would be the first soap to cast a trans actor.