A trailer for the latest government-subsidized American military propaganda just dropped, and right on time to stoke the fires of pro-war sentiment. Top Gun: Maverick was delayed several times due to COVID-19, “complex fight sequences” and scheduling conflicts, but never fear, your American tax dollars were not wasted in vain: The film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2022 before landing in theaters on May 27, 2022.
Thirtyish years after the events of the original film, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is called to lead the training of a new group of Top Gun graduates for a special mission after purposefully dodging advancement in rank. Among the new crop of trainees is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Val Kilmer reprises his iconic role (at least in photographic form) as Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Maverick’s rival turned friend, who now serves as Commander of U.S. Navy Pacific fleet.
The trailer shows Maverick making his triumphant return in the face of people who doubt him, including Vice Admiral Cyclone (Jon Hamm, with a character name I wish I was making up) and the Top Gun graduates, whose perfect tan skin and chiseled bodies look ripped straight out of Starship Troopers. Luckily, Maverick’s new love interest Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) is there to provide words of wisdom during Maverick’s moments of weakness. And of course, Top Gun die-hards won’t be disappointed by the impressively executed, action-packed shots of aerial warfare.
Development for Top Gun: Maverick began over a decade ago, when Paramount Pictures made offers to both director and producer of the original respectively, Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer. Scott never signed on, but Bruckheimer remained committed to the project. The title Top Gun: Maverick was announced in 2017, along with Cruise’s continued involvement. Joseph Kosinski was tapped as the director around the same time. Kosinski is known for his groundbreaking CGI work with 2010’s Tron: Legacy. It has also been confirmed that Kenny Loggins’ song “Danger Zone” will return for the sequel. Thank goodness.
Craving all-American adrenaline? Check out the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, hitting theaters May 27, 2022: