One reason why Cruise only tries new things is because of his particular internal “gear” that Anthony Edwards says that he witnessed on the original Top Gun.
It’s strange and more than a little unexpected that Tom Cruise would return to this series after years of delays.
Cruise isn’t the kind of actor who routinely tries sequels (outside of the Mission: Impossible series), even though fans have been clamoring for him to bring Maverick back to the big screen for years.