Top Gun: Maverick — Everything You Need to Know

(Updated 08/08/2022)

More than 30 years after he first took moviegoers on that highway to the danger zone, Tom Cruise is back in the pilot's seat for TOP GUN: MAVERICK. The sequel to 1986’s TOP GUN features several familiar faces and takes us on another high-velocity, action-packed thrill ride.

In fact, MAVERICK was so successful that it is the biggest movie of 2022 so far, and has become one of the highest-grossing movies ever released. (Yes, "ever," as it even sped past TITANIC.) Now Cruise’s Maverick takes flight again, as TOP GUN: MAVERICK comes back to our biggest screens for a Fan Appreciation weekend featuring a pre-show reel of behind the scenes footage.

The Top Gun: Maverick Fan Appreciation Weekend

From Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 14, MAVERICK will be back for an XD and IMAX engagement. Before the movie at all participating theatres, fans will experience exclusive content featuring a behind-the-scenes look at shooting onboard the USS Roosevelt with Tom Cruise and the cast to see what it takes to operate, film, and live on an active warship.

In a statement, Chris Aronson, Paramount's President of Domestic Distribution, said "Paramount Pictures is eternally grateful to the millions of fans going to theatres to experience Top Gun: Maverick the way it was meant to be seen — on the big screen. We are excited about the Maverick fanfare starting this Friday… a small token of our appreciation for the remarkable support we have received from fans."

The Awesome Top Gun: Maverick Trailer

The first TOP GUN: MAVERICK trailer is almost two years old, since the movie has been delayed so significantly by the pandemic and its aftereffects. Now, finally, we've got a brand-new trailer that does more than rely on amazing shots of jets tearing across the skies at supersonic speeds. Don't get us wrong — that material is fantastic, but there's a lot more to TOP GUN.

The new trailer gives us a lot more information about the current class of Top Gun trainees and introduces one of the movie's core conflicts. Namely, how can a young pilot whose father was killed in part thanks to Maverick's actions possibly trust Maverick himself?

What is the Plot of Top Gun: Maverick?

TOP GUN: MAVERICK is set 34 years after the 1986 original, and things have really changed in the world. As in real life, the military has come to rely more heavily on drone warfare, so there’s less need for human pilots to risk their lives up in the skies.

One thing hasn’t changed much in the last few decades, however: Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In all that time, Maverick hasn’t retired or gone out for a promotion, even as he increasingly struggles to find a place in a world that doesn’t seem to need him. When Maverick is relieved from active duty, he’s sent to become a flight instructor at his former academy, where new recruits are feeling the need for speed.

The Top Gun: Maverick Cast: New Additions and Familiar Faces

The new crew includes pilot trainee Bradley Bradshaw, aka Rooster. Played by Miles Teller, Rooster is a hotshot pilot, not unlike Cruise’s Maverick. He also has a very special connection to the original film, which you might’ve already guessed based on his call sign. Rooster is the son of Nick Bradshaw, aka Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in the original movie. Goose was Maverick’s RIO, or Radar Intercept Officer, who died in the 1986 movie. When Maverick takes his new post as a flight instructor, he encounters Rooster, and for the first time in a long time, Maverick must confront his past – but will he ever change?

Along with Teller, the cast of TOP GUN: MAVERICK is mostly made up of actors who weren’t in the original film, with a blend of younger stars and beloved vets alike. Teller is joined by a whole roster of new pilot recruits: Glen Powell (EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!), Lewis Pullman (BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE), Monica Barbaro (“UnReal”), Manny Jacinto (“The Good Place”), and Jay Ellis (“Insecure”).

And, of course, Tom Cruise is back to reprise his role as Captain Pete Mitchell, aka Maverick. (That’s his military callsign.) But Cruise isn't the only familiar face returning for the sequel. Val Kilmer is also back as Tom Kazansky, aka “Iceman,” once Maverick’s top competitor at the Top Gun naval training academy. Kilmer actually campaigned for his return on social media, convincing director Joseph Kosinski to bring the actor back for the sequel, in which Iceman has achieved the rank of Vice-Admiral. Rounding out the ensemble are Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”), as a three-star vice admiral, Ed Harris as a two-star rear admiral and Maverick’s superior (that’s him giving Maverick a talking-to in the trailer), and Jennifer Connelly as Maverick’s new love interest – a single mom who owns a local bar.

The Top Gun: Maverick Director

For many years, TOP GUN: MAVERICK was being developed by the late Tony Scott, who directed the original film. After Scott's 2012 death, Cruise regrouped with his OBLIVION director, Joeseph Kosinski, to make this sequel. Kosinski is as much of a fan of planes and flying as Cruise is, and their shared interest is evident in the trailer. We see several shots that show Cruise in actual fighter jets, skimming along at low altitudes and flying in tight formations. It seems like the star is carrying his MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE filmmaking style forward into the new TOP GUN movie, and we're all for it!

TOP GUN: MAVERICK is in theatres now.

All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.