In 1986, Tom Cruise was only 24 when he starred in the biggest film of the year, the now-iconic action drama, Top Gun. In the 36 years since he first donned his beloved character LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s US Navy pilot suit, Cruise has gone on to lead several other successful franchises and solidified his status as a renowned actor.
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Now in 2022, Cruise’s fans are awaiting the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick to grace theater screens on May 27th. In the months leading up to the film, Cruise has shared clips, trailers and snippets from the new movie with his 6.4 million Instagram followers— and they can’t get over how “ageless” and “incredible” he looks as he reprises his famous role.
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Last week, Cruise shared a photo collection to social media of his evening with Top Gun castmates promoting the film and his fans immediately headed to the comment section to hype up his fit appearance. “Wow he doesn’t age!” wrote one user while another asked, “how do you look the same 30 years later Tom??”
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More fans began pointing out that his skin has an “ageless glow” and that he seems “happier than ever to take on his role again.” His post garnered well over 300,000 likes and he previously shared clips of the sequel’s trailers which excited fans immensely. “Last night was a celebration 36 years in the making,” Cruise wrote in his caption, “Truly incredible. #TopGun”
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Top Gun: Maverick sees Cruise portray his OG pilot again, and this time, the plot centers around him teaching other aspiring aviators to fly, including one played by Miles Teller, Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, son of Anthony Edwards’ character from the first film. Other Top Gun stars will return, as seen posing with Cruise on Instagram, including Val Kilmer as Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, and notable newcomers to the franchise include Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell and more.
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The film was initially scheduled for release on July 12, 2019, but was postponed due to scheduling conflicts and further delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In another post, Cruise acknowledged this, and wrote, “This has been a long time coming.” Well, many of us have a need…a need to see our fave characters back on-screen, and it will be fulfilled soon!
