'Aquaman' Might Have Been Censored in the UK to Achieve Softer Rating

With Aquaman set to premiere in theaters in just a few short weeks, Warner Bros. is starting to reveal new information about the upcoming DC Comics film.

But because of the different ratings standards used across the world, the version of Aquaman seen in the United Kingdom will be slightly censored for the audience. According to a new report from Digital Spy, the British Board of Film Classification rated Aquaman 12A, citing some changes made by the studio to achieve the audience-friendly designation.

"This work was originally seen for advice. The company was advised the film was likely to be classified 15 but that their preferred 12A classification could be achieved by removing bloody detail," the BBFC said. "When the film was submitted for formal classification the bloody detail had been removed and the film was classified 12A."

It's unclear what scene was subjected to modification, as the movie is packed with action sequences — though it's not exactly a gory movie. The violence is more akin to most modern superhero movies, and doesn't feature a lot of "bloody detail" as the BBFC's report indicates.

Nonetheless, the ratings board noticed something and decided it needed to be changed if Aquaman was going to be rated 12A, and Warner Bros. obliged.

Whether the studio changed that scene for every release or just the UK's version is also unclear. Either way, the change shouldn't alarm fans — as Digital Spy notes, tweaking films for regions is common among big budget movies like this as each market has their own standard for ratings, and a movie like Aquaman must appeal to a wide demographic.

Director James Wan has spoken at length about his intention to make Aquaman a fun roller coaster ride for movie audiences, hoping to deliver a satisfying experience by the time the credits roll.

"I don't think making an Aquaman movie can be any other tone than this, right?" Wan previously said to ComicBook.com. "In pop culture, he is known as the lamest super hero. So you've got lean into that. You've got to play into that. You've got to have fun with it, right? Like, yes, he rides seahorses, but in our movie, you wouldn't be laughing at a seahorse like that. I wanted to embrace what people think is goofy and potentially campy about this world and really make it fun and adventurous in a cool way."

Aquaman premieres in United States movie theaters on December 21st.