For the young stars of Top Gun: Maverick, landing a role in the movie was a dream come true as it thrust them into the spotlight like never before, being given an opportunity to star in the long-awaited sequel to the movie that sent its leading man, Tom Cruise, into global superstardom.
However, as fate would have it, a few months after wrapping principal photography in June of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the planet and Paramount was forced to delay the title for three years, until finally finding a suitable release date this weekend on May 27.
As the world was brought to a halt, the careers of these up-and-coming actors also had to hit pause for a second, unable to really talk about the phenomenal film they had just spent the better part of a year completing.
We were recently able to catch up with stars Glen Powell (Hangman) and Danny Ramirez (Fanboy), who described what it was like these past three years for them having to sit on the secrets of this movie. Powell tells me,
"Well, that is a thing that, at least, I had a great squadron that we all shared in that similar pain, but holding onto this movie for two years, it's like keeping the greatest secret of all-time. When you know you made something that's gonna thrill audiences, there's this balance, t here's this feeling of, hey, I can't wait to show the world this movie, but, at the same time, you only want to show the world that movie when they're ready to see it, when they can see it the way it's meant to be seen in the theaters.
As you've seen already, in IMAX, Dolby, you want the full works when you see this movie, you want to watch it with strangers, you want to be able to fully plug in and have that full experience. This one is not meant to be seen at home. So, I'm really, really glad we waited. I'm glad the world gets to see it the way it was intended, but yeah, it's been a wild couple of years trying to hold on to this one."
Co-star Danny Ramirez shared a similar sentiment, likening it to his experience also holding on to the secrets behind his role on Marvel Studios' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, like Powell, he's also extremely excited for audiences to finally get a chance to watch this movie on the big screen.
"It was interesting, it was really interesting because we knew that our experience wasn't going to be validated I think by, honestly, by anything, we had such a unique magical experience with training with Joe, Tom, Jerry, literally everyone, so we felt really good about that being something that we lived through, but then, in regards to sharing it as the masterpiece of a film as it is, that's where I think I learned so much patience during that time.
For that, and for Falcon and Winter Soldier, they were both things that I had to kind of sit on for a minute, but they felt like moments that I learned this skill of patience that otherwise I never would have learned. So, it feels good to know that it was also really good. I think it's tough to sit on something potentially that isn't going to be as great, so I'm glad I never got to experience that, but it feels good now, hearing everyone's excitement as to how phenomenal the movie has been."
In our review, we said, "Top Gun: Maverick is the must-see cinematic experience of the year! Packed with jaw-dropping aerial sequences, thrilling edge-of-your-seat moments, genuine heart, epic romance, huge stakes, and one of the absolute best performances of Tom Cruise's legendary career, this is the theatrical experience you've been waiting for."
Tom Cruise headlines the feature as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, with original co-star Val Kilmer returning as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. The iconic pair are joined by an all-star supporting cast consisting of Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Jon Hamm as Vice Admiral Cyclone, Glen Powell as Hangman, Lewis Pullman as Bob, Ed Harris as Rear Admiral, Monica Barbaro as Phoenix, Charles Parnell as Rear Admiral Warlock, Danny Ramirez as Fanboy, Manny Jacinto as Fritz, Bashir Salahuddin as Coleman, Jay Ellis as Payback, Jake Picking in an undisclosed role, Raymond Lee in an undisclosed role, Lyliana Wray as Amelia Benjamin, Jean Louisa Kelly as Carole Bradshaw, Greg Davis as Coyote, and Bob Stephenson in an undisclosed role.
Top Gun: Maverick jets into theaters on May 27!
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.