Tom Cruise, who is an accomplished pilot in real life, has the original Top Gun to thank for igniting his interest in aviation while training for the film.
In Top Gun: Maverick, audiences return to Tom Cruise’s iconic character from the first film, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, who is now a senior pilot in the air force, but who still prefers to fly planes while training new recruits instead of sitting behind a desk.
In preparation for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that Cruise ensured not only himself but his younger castmates, who all play Navy pilots, were properly trained for the film’s stunning aerial shots.
Tom gave all the briefings and all the debriefings after the shoot along with the great Top Gun pilots that we work with from the Navy.”