A new image from Top Gun: Maverick highlights Monica Barbaro's role as fighter pilot Phoenix. The sequel to the hit 1986 Tom Cruise film Top Gun has faced a long road to theaters. The film was originally set for release in 2019, but production delays forced the film into 2020. The film was set back once again because of the coronavirus pandemic, landing on a December 2020 release date before being moved again to July 2021. Just last week, Top Gun: Maverick was delayed to November 2021, reportedly so star Cruise could go on a worldwide press tour.
The original Top Gun told the story of Cruise's Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a student at an elite school for fighter pilots in the US Navy. The film was a runaway hit despite its lackluster critical reception, with praise being laid on its groundbreaking flight sequences. Top Gun is also partially responsible for launching the action career of Cruise, proving his bonafides as a leading man in big-budget spectacles.
Joining Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick is a slate of young stars, including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Barbaro who plays Phoenix, a young pilot trainee at the academy. A new image from Empire magazine shows off Phoenix during her training at the academy and from the looks of it she won't be backing down.
The original Top Gun was primarily a boy's club - Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan were the two primary female characters in the original 1986 film and even then they only served as love interests to the male characters. Ryan played Carole Bradshaw, Goose's wife, in the original film, while McGillis played Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood, an instructor at the academy and Cruise's love interest.
Cruise's Maverick will now serve as an instructor at the academy instead of a student, training a new generation of fighter pilots. In addition to the young trainees, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, and Jon Hamm are all set to star in Top Gun: Maverick, but much of the plot remains a mystery. It will remain focused on Maverick and, presumably, Goose's son, played by Teller. director Joseph Kosinski has made it clear that the film will seek to reach new heights when it comes to its fighter pilot action sequences, but other than that, little can be gleaned about what's in store for the film. This has arguably made Top Gun: Maverick all the more anticipated and the extra four months tagged on to its release will be excruciating for fans clamoring to see the film.
Source: Empire magazine
