The long in-development Top Gun 2 finally has a plot, and in a sad example of art imitating life, the brash volleyball-playing, dogfighting pilots of the original will be replaced by drones in the sequel.
The script will be penned by Justin Marks, and features Tom Cruise’s iconic hotshot fighter pilot in the starring role, despite previous rumors that he would be taking a backseat to a younger actor. Skydance CEO David Ellison said in an interview with Collider: “There is no Top Gun without Maverick, and it is going to be Maverick playing Maverick.”
As for the replacement of Iceman, Slider, Hollywood, et al. with drones? We’re not in 1980s Miramar anymore:
When you look at the world of dogfighting, what’s interesting about it is that it’s not a world that exists to the same degree when the original movie came out. This world has not been explored. It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology and fifth generation fighters are really what the United States Navy is calling the last man-made fighter that we’re actually going to produce so it’s really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots and what that culture is today are all fun things that we’re gonna get to dive into in this movie.
So, there you have it. Iceman, do you have anything to say about being replaced?
Our thoughts exactly.
