When Tom Cruise shared the first picture from the upcoming Top Gun sequel, not everyone was thrilled about Maverick’s return to the skies.
The 55-year-old confirmed with an Instagram post that production on the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the 80s fighter pilot classic was underway.
But real-life Mavericks were disappointed to see that the US Navy’s new carrier – the F-35C – had been snubbed in favour of the F-18 Super Hornet, which first flew in 1995.
Feel the need: Tom Cruise has shared the first picture from the upcoming Top Gun sequel
The supersonic lightning stealth fighter jets – bought by the UK for £100m – will not appear in the sequel
Retired US Marine Corps Lt Col David Berke told Business Insider that he was less than impressed after the £100million aircraft was not chosen despite being hailed as a ‘game-changer’ this week.
Responding to the choice, he quipped: ‘Damn shame. I guess it will be a movie about the past!’
Retired Lt Gen David Deptula branded the film’s choice of ‘last century’s design’ a ‘missed opportunity’.
Maverick is set to take flight once again – but some aren’t happy with his choice of jet this time around
Missed opportunity: The jets hailed as a ‘gamechanger’ have been snubbed in favour of the 1995 model
Living in the past? The F-18 Super Hornet first flew just nine years after the original Top Gun wowed Hollywood
And it wasn’t just the choice of jet critics seized upon. Cruise’s post shows him donning a flightsuit and carrying the exact same helmet he wore in the 1986 original along with his iconic aviators.
The Aviationist pointed out how unrealistic the outdated choice of helmet would be for modern fighters.
Day 1: The 55-year-old confirmed with an Instagram post that production on the eagerly anticipate follow-up to the ’80s classic was underway
The 1986 action classic was credited with boosting US Navy recruitment by 500 per cent, which is why those in the service today are so passionate about the sequel’s choice of plane.
The original film sees Cruise’s character flying his beloved F-14 Tomcat, long since retired in Top Gun: Maverick.
Finally: The sequel — tiled Top Gun: Maverick — has been in the works since 2010, when paramount approached producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott
You can be my wingman any time: Val Kilmer is also set to reprise his role as Iceman
But the sequel’s producers aren’t alone in their enthusiasm for the F-18. The F-35 community might be bitterly disappointed, but US President Donald Trump also favours their main competitor.
Yesterday the Republican leader bragged about their performance, crediting the aircraft with taking out between 100 and 300 Russian targets in Syria back in February.
Top Gun: Maverick — has been in the works since 2010, when paramount approached producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott.
However when Tony — brother of fellow director Ridley Scott — committed suicide in 2012, the project’s future was in question.
The plot will reporedly focus on the end of the dogfighting era, and the rise of drones.
Val Kilmer is also set to reprise his role as Iceman. Top Gun: Maverick is slated for release on July 12, 2019. It remains to be seen who will fill the second seat, with Goose now long gone.