--- title: "Highlights From Twitter’s Defense Community’s Responses To Tom Cruise’s Top Gun 2 Teaser" description: "To say that anticipation, as well as concern, over a Top Gun sequel is high in defense circles would be a massive understatement." date: "2018-05-31" modified: "2018-05-31" authors: - name: "Tyler Rogoway" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway" url: "https://www.twz.com/21227/highlights-from-twitters-defense-communitys-responses-to-tom-cruises-top-gun-2-teaser" categories: - "Aggressors" - "Air" - "Hollywood" - "Navy Adversaries" - "News & Features" - "Topgun" tags: - "Hollywood" - "Media Buzz" - "movie" - "Navy" - "Super Hornet" - "tom cruise" - "top gun" - "Top Gun 2" - "Top Gun: Maverick" - "twitter" --- # Highlights From Twitter’s Defense Community’s Responses To Tom Cruise’s Top Gun 2 Teaser ![]() *www.twz.com* Tom Cruise dropped one hell of a viral image today on his Instagram account to promote the long-awaited sequel [to *Top Gun*](). It showed Cruise, Maverick hamlet in hand, gazing toward an F/A-18F Super Hornet with "FEEL THE NEED." written across the image. The post was hashtagged #Day1, indicating that Cruise's second fighter jet-themed Hollywood adventure has just begun. The sepia-toned photo came from Paramount's marketing department, with the brand's logo branded at the bottom. The teaser sent social media into a frenzy, with 'defense Twitter' having an especially good time with the post—although some takes landed far better than others. https://www.instagram.com/p/BjbjBaRjE7H Apparently, the Navy made Naval Air Station North Island available for production this week and that's where the photo was shot: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002207810157981698 The USAF took advantage of the announcement to poke a bit of fun at the Super Hornet's less than outstanding high-speed performance: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002195457542586370 The Navy was quick to opine to the USAF's social media taunt, but the guys and gals in blue came back with a withering counterpunch: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002270280822198272 Raytheon, on the other hand, failed miserably by actually posting a picture of an F-15E instead of a Super Hornet: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002258784650190849 Dave Brown, an editor at the *Washington* *Examiner*, rightfully pointed out that Mav hadn't really crushed the Navy's promotional structural over the last three decades, even after shooting down a bunch of MiG-28s: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002175932491235328 David Larter had an even better plot idea regarding Maverick's rank: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002199523068993536 But *The* *Washington* *Examiner's* take on how the F-35 fits into the whole *Top Gun 2* equation was less than stellar, as I pointed out in my own Twitter post: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002240632369418240 https://twitter.com/_/status/1002249883875659776 And quite frankly, we really don't know what jets will be featured and how in the screenplay, and apparently neither does the Navy!: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002272006241431552 In fact, [according to Task & Purpose,]() the Navy has only approved two days of shooting thus far for the project and is waiting to review a final script. Regardless, the F-35 program doesn't seem upset with the production at this point in time: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002288863077851136 Still, Stephen Trimble sarcastically predicts an all too common manufacturer dispute is on the horizon over the film's starring jet: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002272936173162498 Some think the film should reflect the less glamorous realities faced by the Navy these days: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002179120564879360 https://twitter.com/_/status/1002260531984519168 @Toroonthemove had an ominous warning of what may be in store: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002259478069284864 And of course huge [penises drawn in the sky]() were bound to come up: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002247527926829061 As to what scenes Cruise was filming at NAS North Island, it looks like we might get a recreation of the iconic motorcycle/Tomcat scene from the original film which was also shot on an airfield near the runway. In that case, the location was NAS Miramar, then the Navy's coveted 'Fightertown USA,' which now belongs to the Marine Corps: https://twitter.com/_/status/1002306903186104321 There was speculation that seemed to have [some factual support]() behind it that *Top Gun 2,* now titled *Top Gun: Maverick* (seems obvious), would be about humans in the cockpit versus drones. That movie has already been made and it's called *Stealth*, but thankfully it seems as if the *Top Gun 2* production team has [since stepped away]() from that plotline. And it's not as if there aren't plenty of other ideas to work with, including [this idea I posited]() four years ago. Another outstanding question is whether or not the film will feature the amazing aerial footage that the original so brilliantly showcased—you can read all about how that footage was shot by a Topgun instructor who was part of the production [by clicking here](). Or—GASP!—will it be a CGI filled affair like we have become so accustomed to? Without real aerial photography—which is far easier to obtain nowadays through [companies like Wolfe Air]() and [GoPro like action cams]()—the film won't have the same winning texture. And then there is the question of the soundtrack? Who will step in to fill Kenny Loggins shoes? All these questions and more will be answered—for better or worse—on July 12th, 2019 when *Top Gun: Maverick* hits theaters. *Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com* ## Author Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day. ### Author social links [Twitter]()