Jon Hamm and Justin Marks on Capturing The Spirit Of The Original Top Gun 

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This month marks 36 years since “Top Gun” was released. The melodrama, directed by Tony Scott, and starring Tom Cruise, was a massive success with audiences. 

It focuses on a select group of Navy pilot trainees, their rivalries, and relationships — all set against some of the most dangerous flying anywhere in the world.  

It made Tom Cruise a star and a rising star (via Men’s Journal) and launched countless pop culture memes. 

“Top Gun: Maverick”, a movie set in the past, will tell the story of Cruise’s Captain Pete Mitchell.  

Mitchell returns to TOPGUN to train new pilots for a mission with a high risk that may be impossible to return to. 

Maverick must also deal with his past and face the possibility that flying, which he loves so much, may not be possible in the future. 

Jon Hamm, who spoke on the red carpet for the San Diego premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” said that the original “Top Gun”, while motivating some people to serve their country and expressing ideas that are still part of “Top Gun: Maverick,” was also an inspiration. 

Jon Hamm, who is playing the new character Admiral Beau Cyclone Simpson, said, “I think it defined what it meant for many kids in my generation.” “I was 15 years of age and I know that me and my friends and thought everything in that movie was amazing.” 

Hamm explained, “If you ask two of the naval veterans and aviators that we have here [Top Gun] inspired a whole new generation to join the Navy.” 

“I believe the lessons you learn as a naval pilot, sailor, or in any other military branch are about sacrifice. 

You learn about loyalty, teamwork, duty, responsibility, and all that it takes. These are the themes that we use in the film. 

The filmmakers faced a challenge: how to use those themes, as well as the characters and settings from the original film, to create something new without making “Maverick” a nostalgic fest.