‘Top Gun: Maverick’ delayed yet again

Want to find out what happens to Tom Cruise’s character Maverick in the long-awaited sequel? Well, you’ll have to wait even longer… 

The release of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has been delayed yet again due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the reluctance of people to go to cinemas. The new date for the film to open to the public is now May 27, 2022.

The first ‘Top Gun’ movie made the F-14 Tomcat famous with the general public and features in the sequel’s trailers. This Tomcat was with VF-103 when photographed over the Mediterranean Sea. US Navy/Capt Dana Potts
The first ‘Top Gun’ movie made the F-14 Tomcat famous with the general public and features in the sequel’s trailers. This Tomcat was with VF-103 when photographed over the Mediterranean Sea. US Navy/Capt Dana Potts

The movie is the much-anticipated sequel to the 1986 original, which made Tom Cruise a star playing Lt Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. The original release date for Maverick was July 12, 2019, but was initially delayed to June 26, 2020 with Variety reporting: “The extra time will give filmmakers the opportunity to work out the logistics of presenting flight sequences with new technology and planes.” However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic this was pushed back to July 17.

The ongoing pandemic has led to the release being delayed a further number of times to December 23, 2020; July 9, 2021; November 19, 2021 and now May 27, 2022.

The 1986 movie also brought the Grumman F-14 Tomcat to the wider public’s attention. In the trailers for the sequel the famous fighter makes two brief appearances, as an air base gate guard and also flying – even though the type was retired by the US Navy in 2006, though is still in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. What the plot of the film has in store for the F-14 and Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell we will have to wait a bit longer to find out…