--- title: "‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is finally coming to theaters — and Russia may be the villain" description: "The latest trailer shows Navy pilots flying in a wintry environment against what looks like one of Russia's newest fighter jets" date: "2022-03-29" modified: "2022-03-29" authors: - name: "Max Hauptman" job_title: "Breaking News Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/max-hauptman/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/top-gun-maverick-finally-coming-to-theaters-russia-may-be-villain/" categories: - "Around the World" - "News" - "Russia" - "Tactics" - "Tech & Tactics" - "Warfare" --- # ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is finally coming to theaters — and Russia may be the villain ![Top Gun screenshot]() *(Screenshot via YouTube)* Like many a Pentagon project, the much anticipated “Top Gun” sequel has seen its fair share of delays. Originally scheduled for a summer 2019 release, that [soon became]() summer 2020, then 2021, and eventually our current year of 2022. But with a new [trailer]() dropping today, it seems like Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, now a Captain, is actually making a return to theaters this summer. > [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest in military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** The trailer opens establishing Maverick’s, well, maverick bonafides. He’s still a Captain, despite pushing 40 years of service in the Navy, still a pilot and still cruising the flight line on his Kawasaki. ![]() *(Screenshot via YouTube)* He’s got a final mission though, at the behest of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, now an Admiral. Iceman, Maverick’s old buddy and sparring partner in aviation safety and chomping, is now head of the Pacific Fleet. ![]() *(Screenshot via YouTube)* There is apparently a new mission, though, going “against combat, on a level no living pilot’s ever seen.” Where this combat takes place? There are no spoilers here, but it seems to be someplace mountainous and snowy. Could this enemy be China? North Korea? ![]() *(Screenshot via YouTube)* Some reporting after the first Top Gun: Maverick trailer noted that the patches on Maverick’s bomber jacket had been [updated]() to remain more compatible with the Chinese movie market. The flags of Japan and Taiwan? Gone, although Maverick’s sartorial choices could certainly have evolved in the intervening 35 years. The first Top Gun movie revolves around Maverick’s encounters with the [Mig-28]() fighter, a fictional aircraft standing in for the best of what the Soviet air force had to offer. > [**Who Exactly Was The Bad Guy In ‘Top Gun’?**]() Some early drafts of the [first movie]() had the enemy as North Korea, and the engagements have some similarities to the Navy’s multiple engagements with [Libyan aircraft]() throughout the 1980s. But it’s ultimately left unresolved. Much like their black helmets and opaque goggles, the origin of these pilots remains vague and unknowing. From this trailer, though, we see what looks like at least one shot of a Su-57 “Felon,” Russia’s next-generation stealth fighter. ![]() *(Screenshot via Youtube)* The Navy pilots also seem to be [flying]() into a swarm of Cold War-era [Soviet-made S-125]() low-level surface-to-air missiles. We do know that Maverick’s love of beach sports while clad in denim remains. ![]() *(Screenshot via YouTube)* So is this new mission against Russia? Some kind of snowy, mountain-bound country that operates Russian equipment and will remain unnamed? The answer will, barring another global pandemic, come this Memorial Day weekend. ## Watch the latest Top Gun: Maverick trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giXco2jaZ_4&ab_channel=ParamountPictures ## What’s new on Task & Purpose - **After training together for years, Air Force pilots are watching Ukrainian friends** [**fight for their lives**]() - **An Army vet’s realization in Ukraine:** [**‘So horrible or heartbreaking that you can’t continue’**]() - **‘They own the long clock’ —** [**How the Russian military is starting to adapt**]() **in Ukraine** - [**‘We strike at night, when the Russians sleep’**]() **— How Ukraine is stalking Russian armor with drones** - [**The leg tuck is officially dead**]() **and other changes coming to the Army Combat Fitness Test** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Max Hauptman is a former breaking news reporter at Task & Purpose. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Instagram]()