Tom Cruise Put His Top Gun: Maverick Cast-mates Through A Brutal Bootcamp  - Men's Health Magazine Australia

Tom Cruise Put His Top Gun: Maverick Cast-mates Through A Brutal Bootcamp 

According to those in the cast, the OG Maverick made them pass his own bootcamp before filming.

Before aviators became the iconic sunglasses they are today, worn by Hollywood’s A-listers and anyone else with a modicum of cool and charisma, it was Tom Cruise that made them a coveted possession. As the brash and ambitious Maverick in Top Gun, Cruise became a poster-boy for anyone aspiring to lofty goals in the air, as well as those on the ground who simply wanted his way with the ladies and thought the quickest way to get there was with a leather jacket and motorbike. Regardless of how old you were when you came to find Top Gun, the fact is that film never ages. Its characters are as dear to us now as they were back then, and for Cruise, its a legacy he fiercely protects. 

Perhaps that’s why Cruise ensured his co-stars for Top Gun: Maverick were up to the challenge. In his decades-long career as an actor, Cruise has cemented his place as not just a sensational actor and heartthrob, but as a man all too willing to do his own stunts. He’s become the go-to action star and is showing no signs of slowing down. And unfortunately for those castmates on the upcoming film, it meant having to endure his very own “Tom Cruise Bootcamp.” 

Those who worked with Cruise on the project were put through a brutal test on the set. In an effort to push the film’s realism to the maximum, Cruise wanted everyone to train alongside him. Shoots took place inside real Boeing F/A-18 Superhornet fighter jets which required its own form of professional training, but Cruise didn’t stop there. According to director Joe Kosinski, Cruise also thought that some intensive training could help form formative connections between the cast. This involved experiencing G-forces so strong it even knocked out some pilots – hardly your average movie training spectacle. 

In an interview with Esquire, Cruise’s co-star Miles Teller described the arduous three-month training schedule as a real eye-opener into the strength of Mr Tom Cruise. “We were all mini Toms making this movie. He put us through…I’ll just call it ‘Tom Cruise boot camp.’ We were getting in killer shape. And also for the stunts and stuff that Tom does in movies, it’s usually a very specific type of training,” said Teller. 

He added, “You’re not just going into the gym and lifting some weights. We did flight training for three months before we started filming…We got put through the wringer.”

Despite the success of the first film, it’s Top Gun: Maverick that is said to be a realistic depiction of life in the sky. Cruise said the original didn’t exactly prepare the cast for what they needed to sell the in-the-sky scenes, with most of the combat shots being unusable the first time around. This time though, they’re as realistic as possible and fans will be eagerly anticipating the film’s release after numerous setbacks due to the pandemic. 

Top Gun: Maverick hits theatres on May 27. 

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