Let’s add another four years to that, since Maverick was a lieutenant back when he first entered the TOPGUN program… which brings us to a grand total of 37 years. By the time the sequel makes its appearance on the silver screen, 34 years will have elapsed since Maverick’s stint at the former NAS Miramar. Let’s do the math here - “Top Gun” was released in 1986, over 3 decades ago. The Navy retired the F-14 Tomcat, made famous by Top Gun, 11 years ago (Paramount Pictures) He’s way too old to be an instructor anyways The young naval aviator is frankly way too self-absorbed to be an instructor given his penchant for doing things that would ultimately give himself the glory.Ĥ. Perhaps this is a result of his inherent narcissism… a trait unbecoming of a potential TOPGUN instructor pilot. His superiors call him out on it repeatedly, from his time in the fleet aboard the USS Enterprise to his antics at TOPGUN, darting below the “hard deck” to get a radar lock on one of his instructors.
From buzzing control towers to his inverted encounter with the MiG-28 to his training sorties at TOPGUN, Maverick just doesn’t know how to turn off his recklessness.Īt times, he’s even been known to disobey direct orders from commanding officers. It’s a chronic problem and he doesn’t know how to solve it. He’s too reckless and narcissisticĮvery time Maverick goes up, he flies dangerously. Over at Miramar, Maverick once again draws the ire of his fellow classmates by leaving them behind during training exercises, choosing instead to selfishly pursue Viper while allowing his wingmen to take a hit. Meanwhile, “Cougar” and “Merlin” - the two aircrew of the other F-14 - are mercilessly hounded by another MiG fighter, causing Cougar to lose his edge and turn in his wings after nearly crashing his jet. Instead of covering his wingman, Maverick pulls his F-14 over an enemy MiG-28 for Goose to take vanity images with a Polaroid camera. This is alarmingly evident from the very beginning of the movie, when the young pilot and his backseater decide to leave a fellow Tomcat behind and completely exposed to do a little showboating. Rick “Jester” Heatherly (Paramount Pictures) “You never, never leave your wingman.” – Lt. If anything, being that the program is designed to mature the most capable of all Navy fighter pilots currently serving, shouldn’t they only learn from the best? Tom “Iceman” Kazanski who took the plaque for first place (and gains the option to return to TOPGUN as an instructor). Instead, it’s Maverick’s classmate and fierce rival, Lt.
In convincing him to return to the program, “Viper” - TOPGUN’s head honcho in the movie - lets the depressed soon-to-be washout know that he has enough points to graduate with the rest of his class… but certainly not enough to achieve the award for best pilot. JG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, died during a training exercise gone wrong. In fact, Maverick didn’t even come close to winning the top graduate award at the end of the program, losing his edge and competitiveness after his radar intercept officer, Lt. Mav barely even showed up at his graduation from Top Gun, so how on God’s Green Earth could he one day become an instructor? (Paramount Pictures) He wasn’t even the best pilot at Top Gun! Here are four reasons why Maverick might actually be the worst possible choice to be a TOPGUN instructor in the sequel: 1. While a lot has changed in the three decades since Maverick first set foot on TOPGUN’s campus at NAS Miramar (now a Marine Corps base), one thing remains absolutely certain - Maverick really shouldn’t be anywhere near the school, especially as an instructor.įrom his downright reckless flying to his cavalier attitude, this aviator is no example for new TOPGUN candidates, and he definitely shouldn’t be in a position to instruct them. Though not a whole lot of information about the new movie has been released just yet, it’s generally understood that Maverick will be an instructor or something similar, teaching the next generation of fighter pilots how to push themselves and their aircraft to the limit. Navy’s elite TOPGUN school and a career fighter pilot flying the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The sequel with Tom Cruise returning in the starring role as hotshot naval aviator LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a graduate of the U.S. “Top Gun: Maverick” was supposed to fly onto the big screen in July but was pushed back to December due to COVID-19. It’s just about here – the sequel aviation and military buffs have been patiently waiting for.