Tom Cruise Initially Didn't Want Top Gun Sequel; 'It Would've Been Irresponsible'

Top Gun: Maverick hit movie screens in the summer of 2022 and instantly won the hearts of fans who were waiting for just such a sequel. However, not everyone knows that Tom Cruise, portraying an outstanding but unruly fighter jock, after the release and success of the 1986 film, did not want to shoot a sequel at all.

Related:Tom Cruise Wants to be Like Harrison Ford, at Least in This Respect

The star's reluctance to play in Top Gun 2 would explain why we had to wait more than three decades before it was made. However, the actor had a reason why he was not eager to return to the iconic role of Maverick. All because he feared that the movie would be a promotion of war and the US military, which he talked about in a 1990 interview (via Screen Rant).

The military, which, among other things, provided the equipment that made the movie possible, indeed influenced the 1986 movie. The Navy had to accept the script, it also made some adjustments to it. The language used by the characters was toned down, and it was requested, among other things, that the location of the opening battle not be the airspace over Cuba, but international waters.

In the end, however, Tom Cruise changed his mind and decided to star in the sequel to the 1986 hit. What convinced him? Director Joseph Kosinski, who went to the actor to pitch his idea for the movie. When the star realized that it was Maverick and Rooster's relationship that would be the core of the plot, he decided to take part in the project.

More:Gran Turismo Like Top Gun? That's What Stranger Things Star Thinks