On Thursday, Paramount debuted the first trailer for "Top Gun: Maverick," a sequel to the much beloved '80s classic "Top Gun," at San Diego Comic-Con. By Friday, eagle-eyed fans had spotted one big difference between the iconic leather jacket Tom Cruise wears in the first film and the one he dons in new trailer.

In the new trailer the patches on the back of the jacket no longer bear the Taiwanese and Japanese flags.

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Paramount Pictures did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

A possible reason is that "Top Gun: Maverick" is being produced, in part, by Tencent Pictures, a Chinese film distributor and production company. Tencent has co-financed films like "Wonder Woman," "Kong: Skull Island" and "Bumbleebee."

"No matter the film or subject matter it's imperative that filmmakers and studios today understand the global marketplace and how consumers in various international territories around the world will respond or relate to visual cues, storylines or situations in high-profile releases," Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said.