Tom Cruise’s Reason For Doing His Own Stunts Makes Top Gun 2 Better
Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, the rebellious and immensely gifted jet pilot, returns in Top Gun 2. After 30 years in the Navy, he's back at TOPGUN as an instructor, entrusted with instructing a bunch of rookie pilots, including Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late friend, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) from the original film. While plagued by his past, Maverick must win over the new pilots and prepare them for the most important mission yet in the Top Gun franchise.
The fact that tom Cruise's action flicks are so realistic is a significant reason for their success. "No one asked Gene Kelly, 'Why do you dance?'" Cruise said when asked why he continues to undertake many of his own stunts. "Why do you dance by yourself?" Cruise's casual reaction is delightfully reminiscent of Maverick's responses to his flying instructors in the original 1986 Top Gun — such as his iconic phrase "I was inverted" — and reflects Maverick's confidence in his training as well as his excitement for breaking rules.