Tom Cruise Wasn’t The First Choice For Top Gun, But That’s Not The Only Thing That Would Have Been Different About The Movie

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The release of Top Gun in the summer of 1986 was a major pop culture event. The film, now available on Paramount+, catapulted Tom Cruise to superstardom, and he’s remained a leading actor for the past forty years. Interestingly, Cruise wasn’t the original choice for the role of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell – Matthew Modine was first offered the part. After Cruise was cast, he successfully pushed for changes to the script that ultimately made the movie even better. Let’s take a closer look.

Matthew Modine Turned Down The Role Because He Didn’t Like The Tone Of The Movie

The movie Top Gun clearly supports the military. It was made with the help of the U.S. Navy, and some people criticized it for feeling like a two-hour advertisement for joining the armed forces. This pro-military slant actually made Matthew Modine hesitant to take the role. In a 2020 interview with Fox News, he explained why he almost didn’t do the film.

Back in the 1980s, during Reagan’s presidency, many films portrayed Russia as the enemy. I believe that kind of one-sided view is overly simplistic.

After that, Matthew Modine landed the part of Private Joker in what’s now considered one of the greatest war movies ever, Full Metal Jacket. That really paved the way for Tom Cruise, who was just starting to become a huge star. He’d already broken out with Risky Business in ’83, and that year he also did All The Right Moves and The Outsiders, which were all setting him up for even bigger things.

Cruise Asked For Some Changes To The Script

Let me tell you, before Tom Cruise even considered becoming Maverick in Top Gun, he had some serious notes for the filmmakers. In a fascinating 1986 interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed he loved the concept of the movie, but the original script just didn’t work for him. He felt Maverick came across as too arrogant, frankly, a bit of a jerk! He basically told producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, ‘Fix this, and then we can talk’ – he needed a rewrite to make the character someone audiences could actually root for.

I explained that after about two months, the script should be developed enough that I’d have a clearer idea of whether I wanted to continue, and they would also have a better understanding of their own vision for the project.

During that period, Cruise and Bruckheimer developed Maverick’s history. They decided he was reckless because his father, also a fighter pilot, was killed in Vietnam. This gave the character depth and made him relatable – he wasn’t just unlikeable, as one critic accurately pointed out. It was a smart move, and both Bruckheimer and Cruise were right to pursue it. Without that backstory, Maverick wouldn’t be as beloved today, and the movie wouldn’t have had the same lasting impact, even if it was initially successful.

Paramount+ offers streaming plans starting at $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year. You can enjoy popular movies like Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, choosing between the Essential plan at $7.99/month and an ad-free Premium plan for $12.99/month. For the best value, consider an annual subscription to save money on your favorite shows and movies. See the current deal here.

The original Top Gun remains a classic, and its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, became an even bigger success – one of the year’s best films in 2022. This shows how much audiences love the story and its characters. It makes you wonder what would have happened if a key decision hadn’t been made.

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2025-11-11 00:08