One way that Warner Bros. has made sure its DCEU series of DC superhero movies feels distinct from its chief competition at Marvel has been how it has looked to attract directors with distinct visions for their characters. It’s a holdover from the freedom afforded Christopher Nolan on The Dark Knight trilogy, and despite the well publicized troubles with Justice League, there’s no denying that Zack Snyder had a free hand with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

So when James Wan was first announced as the director of the Aquaman movie in 2015, it was another sign that Warner Bros. was courting directors who could put their mark on their characters. And while Aquaman had long been a priority for the studio, he doesn’t seem like the most obvious choice for a director like Wan, who made his mark in horror movies. But it turns out that the studio offered Wan his choice of superhero movies.

“It was two characters,” Wan tells Den of Geek. “It was Aquaman and The Flash.”

read more: Every DCEU Easter Egg in the Aquaman Movie