As filming begins on Top Gun's sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise has shared the first official image from set. Suited up in his character's Naval flight suit, Cruise is revisiting one of his most beloved roles from the '80s.
When the original Top Gun was released in 1986, it was a box office juggernaut. In fact, it was so popular that enlistment in the United States Navy spiked significantly as a result. The movie follows Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (played by Cruise) as he begins training in the Navy's Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. Reckless and unpredictable, Maverick finds friendship, rivalry, and love (cue Berlin's "Take My Breath Away") as he navigates his way to the top of the class. Now, over 30 years later, a sequel is officially in the works. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (who directed Cruise in Oblivion), the plot and supporting cast is currently under wraps (save for this vague character breakdown). Still, now that filming has officially begun (ahead of the previously reported July date), Cruise posted a photo from the first day of shooting.
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On his official Twitter page, Cruise reached out to fans with the first image from filming on Top Gun: Maverick. Though there is little to be offered in the way of plot, the photo showcases Cruise in character as the titular Maverick standing in front of what appears to be an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Donning his character's familiar Naval flight suit and gripping the very same helmet Maverick sported in the original movie, this image of Cruise is going all-in on nostalgia. What's more is that one of the many classic lines from the first movie that Cruise shares with his co-star Anthony Edwards ("I feel the need—the need for speed.") also gets a nod in the form of a tagline.
Despite the excitement surrounding Top Gun's sequel, it's unclear who from the original movie will make a return, aside from Cruise. Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis, who play two key surviving co-stars from the original movie, have not been confirmed to make appearances. And, sadly, Top Gun's director Tony Scott passed away in 2012.
Tom Cruise has shown no signs of slowing down since his breakout role in 1983's Risky Business. Between the Mission: Impossible franchise (two of which released in the past decade, with Fallout opening in July), the Jack Reacher franchise, and even attempts at combining the action and horror genre with a reboot of The Mummy, Cruise has proven that Top Gun's "need for speed" credo still rings true with the actor 32 years after its release.
More: Top Gun 2: Tom Cruise Learns to Fly a Helicopter In Training
Source: Twitter