Top Gun: Maverick is finally in theaters this weekend, several decades after the 1986 classic Top Gun wowed audiences everywhere. Though the sequel had lofty expectations to fulfill, the glowing reviews and healthy box office thus far suggest it has more than lived up to them. Maverick reintroduces audiences to its eponymous lead character (played by Tom Cruise) now that he is in a position of leadership and with years of experience under his belt.

While one of Maverick's most significant dynamics in the Top Gun sequel is with the son of his fallen friend Goose, nicknamed Rooster (Miles Teller, The Offer), that's far from the only vestige of the original present in the story. The friendship between Maverick and Iceman (Val Kilmer) may not play as large a role, but it feels every bit as poignant.

Screen Rant spoke to director Joseph Kosinki about how he sought to honor the original film, the reception to the sequel, and the significance of reuniting Maverick with Iceman onscreen.

Screen Rant: I go to screenings with a lot of press, and we're usually pretty subdued. But we were howling, hollering, screaming. What a movie!

Joseph Kosinski: Amazing. Well, I'm so happy to hear that.

What does it mean to you to take this on?

Joseph Kosinski: I was a fan of the original, like everyone else. I saw it as a 12-year-old kid, so stepping into it, there was a lot of pressure. We all felt it: me, Tom, Jerry. Tom described it as hitting a bullet with a bullet, which is pretty tough.

Every day, we were all pushing, working as hard as we could to deliver the best possible movie and try to live up to the original.

And then it screens at Cinema Con. We've had a couple of screenings, and people are loving it.

Joseph Kosinski: Cinema Con was the first time I watched it finished with an audience, so that was an epic screening. It was just fun to see them react to all the different beats in the story.

What emotion is that? You're sitting there, and you slowly start to realize everyone loves it.

Joseph Kosinski: Yeah. I mean, it's a little nerve wracking. Because we know we love the film, but you just never know how an audience is going to react - especially to something so beloved. Everyone has their own version or memory of the first film or what they loved about it.

I hope people see how much we revere the first film and, at the same time, we wanted to tell our own story. Based on that screening, we came out of it feeling really good.

That's awesome. Do you have a callsign for yourself yet?

Joseph Kosinski: We did this callsign generator at the beginning of the shoot, and what stood out for me was Battlestar. So, that was what was on my office.

I love that. You talked about paying homage to the original, and there's a lot of great moments in there. One of my favorites, though, is that in the original they play volleyball in jeans. You have this scene where they're playing football in wet jeans.

Joseph Kosinski: Yes. That was one of those scenes that, when people heard I was starting to prep this movie, everyone was asking me about the beach scene. I knew that was something we couldn't avoid. The trick was how we work it into the story. I didn't want to just do the scene for the sake of doing it.

Our screenwriting team came up with a really clever way of integrating that sequence into the story of our film. And then, when it came to that day, we had fun. I mean, it was shooting the beach scene for Top Gun.

A lot of emotions too. In that scene with Val and Tom, I was misty-eyed. Can you tell me about what went into creating that moment, and what the conversations were about where Iceman and Maverick would be?

Joseph Kosinski: We like the idea that Iceman, as you remember, won the Top Gun trophy in 1986. In fact, you see it on the wall in that scene. And he stayed in the Navy and continued his way up the ranks. Now, he's basically as high as you can go, whereas Maverick stayed a captain. But that friendship has remained, and Iceman's always looked out for Maverick, as he's gotten in trouble along the way - as he does.

That was a scene that we spent a lot of time working on, talking about, all of us together. And when it came time to shoot, it was very emotional. Because not only was it the reunion of these two characters, but Val and Tom, I don't think they'd seen each other in such a long time. So, it was really special day.

More Top Gun: Maverick Interviews

Close up of Tom Cruise in character as Maverick in Top Gun 2 wearing a pilot's helmet with face shield down and oxygen mask

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Next: Top Gun Maverick Ending Explained

Top Gun: Maverick is currently out in theaters.