Tom Cruise is an actor known for going full tilt into his roles, especially when it comes to major action franchises like Mission: Impossible. While he recently jumped out of a plane and then got an injury on the set of the newest installment Fallout, his role in Top Gun: Maverick will take him to new heights. Literally. Cruise is doing his own piloting for the long-awaited sequel, recently sharing a video of himself in the cockpit of the film's fighter jets.
Decades after the release of the original, Top Gun is returning to theaters with Joseph Kosinski's Maverick. Tom Cruise is back to play the title role, as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell instructs a new group of pilots. Cruise recently shared an epic video featuring footage of himself in the cockpit, and piloting the immensely powerful fighter jets of the movie. Check it out below.
I mean, how cool is that? Tom Cruise will go to great lengths for his movies, putting himself in personal danger in the process. That's certainly the case for Top Gun: Maverick, as he's operating serious machinery and putting his life in his hands in the above video.
This new clip package comes to us from Tom Cruise's personal Twitter page. Alongside the footage of Tom Cruise in the cockpit, he and the crew are shown in interviews speaking about the authenticity of its flying sequences. The movie got real fighter pilots to help make the dogfights as real as possible, with Cruise maintaining his performance couldn't be properly captured unless it was happening in reality.
And in order to ensure full coverage and use of the Top Gun: Maverick cast's time in the air, a whopping six IMAX-quality cameras were added to the cockpit of the fighter jets. It already look pretty snug in there, but this type of filming covered a variety of angles at once, so each take in the air was fully covered for the editing process.
Related: Quentin Tarantino Actually Asked Tom Cruise Why He’s Making Top Gun: Maverick
The trailers for Top Gun: Maverick certainly tease a thrilling theatrical experience, especially when it comes to the upcoming flight sequences. While footage looks awesome on our computers or phones, it's no doubt going to be a wild ride in movies. The audience should also feel like they're in the air, and complete with thrilling takeoffs, barrel rolls, and dips in altitude. And in that way, Maverick can bring something unique to the table that its predecessor wasn't able to do, given the technology.
Of course, Tom Cruise wasn't the only Top Gun: Maverick who was shot in the cockpit of a fighter jet. The other pilot actors did as well, seemingly to the insistence of the 57 year-old actor. The cast actually feeling the physics and force of flight ensured that their faces reacted realistically. That realism was the goal, as Cruise goes to great lengths for ultra-realism in his action movies.
The buzz for Top Gun: Maverick continues to grow, and there are decades of waiting behind the movie's release. But the generations of fans will have to do some waiting, as the sequel will hit theaters on June 26, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
