Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Tom Cruise’sTop Gun: Maverickis one of the best aviation action dramas of all time. A sequel to his hit,Top Gunreleased in 1986, the movie is now among the highest-grossing movies of all time. Famous for its spectacular action sequences and entertaining storyline,Top Gun 2is the perfect recipe for a blockbuster,
The long-awaited sequel,Top Gun: Maverick, not only brought back Tom Cruise as Maverick but also introduced new characters, including Maverick’s wingman. While fans only realized it later in the movie,Top Gun2 had already hinted who Cruise’s wingman is way early in the film.
Tom Cruise’s Wingman inTop Gun 2Was Apparent from the Start
Tom Cruisereturned as Captain Pete Maverick Mitchell inTop Gun: Maverickafter a record 36 years. While a sequel was due a long time ago, nobody expected the movie to become as big as it did upon its release. Grossing $1.4 billion worldwide against a budget of $170 million (viaThe Numbers), the movie introduced several new characters as well.
Starring the likes ofMiles Teller,Glen Powell, Val Kilmer, and more, it was later revealed in the movie thatTeller’s Lt. BradleyRoosterBradshawis Cruise’s Maverick’s wingman. Rooster is the son of Maverick’s late best friend and former RIO (Radar Intercept Officer), NickGooseBradshaw.
“The amount of sh*t I got was extraordinary”: Glen Powell Went Through the Most Awful Moment Before He Could Flaunt His Body in Top Gun: Maverick Beach Scene
According to the directorJoseph Kosinski, it has been obvious from the start that Rooster is the wingman instead of Powell’s Lt. JakeHangmanSimpson.In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Kosinski stated,
Maverick needed to choose a wingman for that final mission, someone that he could count on, someone that would come back for him, as Rooster does in the third act. He goes back for Maverick despite everything and everyone telling him not to. So that’s what Maverick was looking for in that final mission.
Apparently, the movie made it obvious that Maverick would come to rely on his late RIO, Goose’s son Rooster more ever since the famousGreat Balls of Firesequence in the movie.
As for Powell’s Hangman, Kosinski states he had a lot of learning to do in the film since many believe he is the perfect successor of Cruise’s Maverick.
Glen Powell’s Hangman Was Not Supposed to be Tom Cruise’s Wingman inTop Gun 2
Glen Powell’s Lt. Jake Hangman Seresin, an F?A-18E pilot in Tom Cruise’sTop Gun 2. Full of confidence, Powell’s Hangman shares several similarities with Maverick. Unbearable at times, he is nonetheless seen as the true successor of Maverick when the franchise moves forward.
“It would happen very much in the same way that this one did”: Top Gun 3 Might Sound Like a Cash Grab But ‘Maverick’ Director Has Revealed the Condition for Tom Cruise Returning
Yet, despitehis talent and confident nature, he is not the wingman that Cruise’s Maverick chooses at the end of the film. And according to the director Joseph Kosinski, it is because he had a lot of growing up to do throughout the film,
Hangman is an incredible pilot, but he still had a few lessons to learn over the course of this film. And of course, he comes through in the end as well, in a spectacular way. Hangman had some growing up to do, a little maturing to do as a pilot, and he comes through at the end of the movie, having gone through that arc and learning his lesson.
WithTop Gun 3said to be in the works (seeVarietyandComicBook.com) it would be interesting to see the character dynamics between Hangman and Rooster since they potentially can be the new faces of the franchise.
Top Gun: Maverickcan be streamed on Amazon Prime.
Maria Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2703
Maria Sultan is a dedicated News Content Writer at FandomWire. With over five years of professional experience and hundreds of published articles, she brings a wealth of expertise to her coverage of Marvel, K-dramas, and the latest on streaming platforms.Her work is not just about reporting news; it’s about providing insightful perspectives on the entertainment trends that matter most.
