Warning: Contains potential SPOILERS for Top Gun: Maverick
The new Top Gun breaking almost every box office record there is, there’s no doubt that Tom Cruise has still got it – even as he approaches the age of 60. However, the question of how much longer the so-called “last movie star standing” (via The Wrap) can keep at it is more pertinent now than ever before. Given his age and the physical toll his roles typically demand, it remains to be seen how much longer can Tom Cruise keep delivering blockbuster after blockbuster, keep pulling off stunts that make even the most hardened of stunt performers wince, and maintain the fortitude and perseverance necessary to make both of those things happen.
The problem is apparent enough that it even ends up being referenced in Top Gun: Maverick, intentionally or otherwise. There are actually quite a few references to Tom Cruise himself sprinkled throughout the film, with even the ending plane having a deeper Tom Cruise link than most realize – it’s in fact the actor’s own P-51 Mustang and he even flew it for the scene. It should come as no surprise, then, that one scene, in particular, goes so far as to address Tom Cruise’s unique position as an action star.
The scene in question takes place after Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell’s test flight at the beginning of Top Gun: Maverick. The test, which involves a hypersonic prototype jet called the Darkstar, ends with the daredevil pilot ejecting out of his aircraft before it explodes over the stratosphere. In the aftermath, he is chastised for his reckless behavior by iral Chester "Hammer" Cain despite Maverick traveling beyond Mach 10, a speed which amounts to 6,732 mph and fulfills the objective of the mission. Cain, however, is not impressed, and calls Maverick part of a “dying breed.” This seemingly throwaway line not only highlights Maverick's role in the Top Gun 2 narrative, but also pointedly identifies Cruise as an increasingly rare type of actor – a genuine action blockbuster superstar who specializes in the spectacular.
Within the context of the film, this comment is directed towards Maverick as a fighter pilot due to his profession slowly being replaced by automated drones. However, there is a hidden meaning here that is directed towards Tom Cruise himself. In this meta context, Cruise is being identified as being part of a “dying breed” of action-focused actors, most of whom are no longer the major box office draws they once were. Movie stars in general have become a rarified commodity in modern filmmaking trends, with action stars in particular undoubtedly on the way out of the industry. There are few action stars still standing, and it could be argued that Tom Cruise is indeed the last of them.
With Top Gun: Maverick being better than the original and making a killing at the box office, Tom Cruise proves that he is still a bankable actor and an action star extraordinaire. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before his breed of acting does indeed become a thing of the past. The scene between Maverick and Cain in Top Gun: Maverick seems to acknowledge this, but also ends on a hopeful note. As Cain reminds Maverick (and Tom Cruise) that “the end is inevitable” and his “kind is headed for extinction,” something magical happens. “Maybe so, sir,” replies Maverick as he its as much, before channeling Tom Cruise and saying simply, “but not today.”
