What’s the first thing you need to do when visiting San Diego for Comic-Con? Head to the floor, of course. And what caught our eyes this year? How kind of you to ask! This year, one of the most noticeable attractions is a full-scale LEGO build of Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman, adorned in his old-school, orange-and-green costume.

Hmmmm… who would win in a fight: @LEGO #Thanos or #LEGO #Aquaman? 🤔 #SDCC pic.twitter.com/wuOYaDWjfi

— Nerdist (@nerdist) July 19, 2018

What a fun little joke! Or is it? We spotted the retro threads throughout the floor: official actions figures, small scale statues at the DC booth, and even a hyper-realistic Sideshow Collectible statue. We now feel pretty confident that Aquaman will be wearing the classic costume come December, when DC’s Aquaman is slated to arrive in theaters.

But what does this costume news mean for the DCEU at large? The Aquaman we know from DC’s latest films is a bourbon-swilling hard-ass who thinks Batman is lame. How will he possibly don these kitschy duds? Well, this could indicate the studio’s acknowledgment that its dark and gritty films don’t hold a candle to the more lighthearted adventures of the other big superhero universe.

Of course, the costume we’re seeing around Comic-Con this year could be more symbolic than practical–but DCEU’s decision to put its biggest badass in his classic campy clothes could be a major statement about the studio’s direction.

This episode of Nerdist News is sponsored by Tor Books