Hollywood superstarTom Cruisearrived at theTop Gun: Maverickpremiere in the only way that he can, flying a helicopter. The impressive entrance was shown in a video shared on social media byThe Hollywood Reporter, with the actor landing on the USS Midway, an iconic Navy aircraft carrier that was docked in San Diego. He then headed off to the world premiere of the long-awaitedTop Gunsequel.
While it was initially believed that Tom Cruise himself had been flying the helicopter, the actor later revealed that he was not behind the controls this time. “No, not today. I do fly that helicopter, but not today,” Cruise reportedly said with a laugh while speaking withET. Of course,Cruise could have piloted the chopper himself,with the actor being a certified pilot with hours of flying experience, as well as several major, death-defying jumps.
The actor has been spotted flying and landing helicopters (successfully of course), during the filming of the upcoming action sequelMission Impossible 7,which has now been titledMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.Thus, many had assumed that Tom Cruise had flown himself to theTop Gun: Maverickpremiere, but alas it was not to be.
Top Gun: MaverickHas Been Met With Positive First Reactions
Top Gun: Maverickwill pick up after more than thirty years since the release of the first Top Gun. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has been of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators for just as long and feels he is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
The first reactions toTop Gun: Maverick, which was shown to lucky viewers at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas,have been overwhelmingly positive.Fandango’s Nikki Novak heaped praise on the legacy sequel saying, “Just saw #TopGunMaverick at #CinemaCon - goodness gracious. Might be the best movie in 10 years. Thrills & chills, tears & cheers. Is unparalleled. It exceeds anything you could imagine. EXTRAORDINARILY tense. PERFECTION. [Miles Teller] crushes.”
The praise continued with critic Scott Menzel who wrote, “Top Gun Maverick is going to completely blow away fans of the original and may even make some new ones along the way. Truthfully, even though the plot is very dependent on that of the original, I found the film to be better than the original in almost every way.”
Top Gun: Maverickis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 14, 2025.
