AFP
San Diego (AFP) – It has been 36 years since Tom Cruise donned his aviators, jumped into a fighter jet and ascended Hollywood’s A-list with “Top Gun” — and, finally, a sequel is about to land.
“I was a little slow — sometimes I’m a little slow,” Cruise joked to AFP at the world premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” held aboard a retired US aircraft carrier in San Diego on Wednesday.
Slow is not usually a word associated with Cruise, arguably the world’s biggest movie star, who landed via helicopter onto a red carpet that was rolled across the USS Midway’s sprawling top deck for the occasion.
In his new film, out in US theaters May 27, Cruise’s hotshot pilot Maverick returns to the Navy’s elite TOPGUN fighter weapons school where he earned his wings to train the latest batch of cocky young aviators.
Among them is Rooster, son of Goose, who was killed in the 1986 original in a moment that still haunts Maverick, even as he must prepare his charges for a deadly mission.
“The sense of romance, the sense of adventure — there’s a world that you want to be in,” said Cruise, on returning to “Top Gun” at the age of 59.
“And obviously, there’s always something about aviation.”
Cruise’s original film popularized the concept of the “wingman”, and he said viewers particularly connected with the closeness of relationships in the world of aviation.
“The culture in this world is very unique… and it’s really interesting that people can just connect with the friendships,” he said.
While the movie opens with a nostalgic throwback sequence set on an aircraft carrier, and features a brief return for Val Kilmer alongside Cruise, it otherwise rests on a group of relatively unknown young actors.
“I always knew that’s how I wanted to open the movie, right from the beginning, just to allow the audience to go ‘you’re gonna get what you (want), trust me,'” said Cruise.
It also incorporates technological advances such as fighter drones, which Cruise — who has long held a pilot license in real life — said he spent decades looking at and evaluating.
“It has to be an evolution,” he said.
‘Go lower’
In “Top Gun: Maverick,” female fighter pilots have joined the elite squadron, including Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix.
“I got to learn from some incredible female aviators,” said Barbaro, who along with her male and female co-stars underwent training from US Navy pilots.
“They’re smart, they’re intelligent, they don’t have to prove themselves in any aggressive way. They just are incredible.”
According to director Joseph Kosinski, the Navy had been “wary” when the original was shot but was fully supportive and helpful for the sequel.
“The first ‘Top Gun’ was a reason a lot of these guys signed up for the Navy,” said Kosinski.
“The decision-makers in the Navy today are guys who signed up in the ’80s because of ‘Top Gun.'”
The movie largely shuns computer-generated effects and the actors were filmed inside fighter jet cockpits, enduring intense G-forces as the planes swooped dangerously low above the Earth’s surface.
Still, according to Kosinski, Cruise “always wanted to go lower.”
“There’s a sequence in this film where we went so low, I guarantee you’ll never see anything quite like it ever again.
“He was always pushing… but I think he was happy with where we ended up.”
LINK LOVE
HOT DEALS

- Save $46.78 on the nutribullet PRO Single Serve Blender (900W) in matte lavender! Optimized 900-Watt motor and refined nutrient extraction blades blend the toughest whole foods into nutritious shakes, smoothies, and nut butters. [Best Buy]
- Save $120 on the Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum! A 2-in-1 Powered Lift-Away® upright vacuum with a detachable canister for portable cleaning. With the touch of a button, Powered Lift-Away® technology allows you to lift the canister away and deep-clean hard-to-reach areas while still delivering power to keep the brushroll spinning. [Target]
- Save $30 on the Ninja™ CREAMi™ Ice Cream Maker, 5 One-Touch Programs, with 2 Pints Included! Turn almost anything into ice cream, sorbet, milkshakes, and more. [Walmart]
- Save $100 on the KitchenAid Artisan 10-Speed Stand Mixer – Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia! This KitchenAid Artisan® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer offers the capacity to make up to 9 dozen cookies in a single batch. And, it features 10 speeds to thoroughly mix, knead and whip ingredients quickly and easily. [Target]
- Save up to 50% on a Nectar mattress. The Nectar Spring Into Savings Sale is here, with some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen on their popular memory foam mattresses and sleep bundles. [Nectar]
- Save $500 on the Samsung – 55” Class LS03D The Frame Series QLED 4K with Anti-Reflection and Slim Fit Wall Mount Included (2024). [Best Buy]
- Save $50 with code! Theragun Prime is a powerful, easy-to-use massage gun in a simple design for effective pain relief. Whether you’re recovering from the daily grind or fueling your active lifestyle, its deep, targeted massage helps your body feel its best. [Therabody]
- Save 5% on the Bombas Men’s Gripper Ankle Sock 4-Pack. [Bombas]
Like most websites, Socialite Life uses affiliate links where available, which means we earn a little commission if you click through and buy something. Also, as Amazon Influencers, we earn from qualifying purchases. Savings shown are those from the date and time of this article’s publication.