MOVIE NEWS – Top Gun: Maverick brought fans back to theatres as Tom Cruise promised one last hurray, but for some, something was still missing…
Top Gun: Maverick was well received by critics and fans old and new. Tom Cruise’s sequel, which arrived 36 years later, not only offered viewers an exciting adventure but also an emotional experience, as they were able to relive their memories as Maverick, Iceman, and the others find each other again.
Although there was much thought about making the 2022 film, there was nothing to talk about after Tom Cruise gave the green light to Paramount. The story was clear, and director Joseph Kosinski knew what he wanted from the start. The film’s emotional core would be preserved through the characters, and the action would elevate the rest of the cinema experience to an epic level.
Looking back, Top Gun: Maverick not only helped revitalize the cinema distribution system (in Steven Spielberg’s words) but also reminded fans why movies exist—to thrill and entertain.
Tom Cruise abandons’ Maverick era’ in Top Gun 2
True, Tom Cruise once again found himself in the pilot’s seat and almost broke through the stratosphere with his speed record; the audience held their breath and watched in stunned admiration at the actor who was able to defy death and perform stunts that were just… well, are possible in movies.
However, even Tom Cruise had to grow up, age, and adapt to the modern age. The Maverick who defied order and obedience in the original film became more mature and emotionally balanced in the sequel.
Although he hasn’t completely left his wild days behind, Cruise portrayed Maverick as a more family-oriented character who longs for love and stability.
As such, while fans fondly think back to Maverick and Charlie’s sultry scene in the 1986 film, Joseph Kosinski’s sequel does away with it entirely. It gave Cruise’s character a much more poignant arc where conversations take precedence over “Take My Breath Away.” As Kosinski put it:
“The relationship between Maverick and Charlie is obviously a very different one. We’re now with someone at a different point in Maverick’s life. The relationship between Maverick and Penny is much deeper than a purely physical one. She’s a really important emotional counterpoint for Maverick in this film. This felt like the right way to tell our story.”
Why didn’t Kelly McGillis come back?
Unlike the original film, in which Kelly McGillis played the role of Maverick’s romantic partner, Jennifer Connelly was given the role in Top Gun 2. McGillis, who plays Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood, said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2019: “I’m old and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about.”
The actress was not asked to return for the sequel, and she claims she would not have agreed even if the studio had offered. The sequel didn’t seek to glorify the past or recall the glory days of Maverick, Goose and Iceman. Top Gun: Maverick was one last hurray for a cast whose journey has now come to an end, but we’re having a hard time letting them go.
But in the film, Tom Cruise made sure to pass the baton to the next generation of heroes, as Miles Teller, Glen Powell and Monica Barbaro took centre stage in the epic story 36 years in the making.
