Ever since its release, Top Gun: Maverick went to dizzying heights. The film not only achieved huge success at the box office, crossing the mark of a billion dollars but also received praise from critics. The sequel to the 1986 film grabbed $1.4 billion at the box office and became the highest-grossing film of 2022. The film stars Tom Cruise in lead and follows up the story of the 1986 Top Gun. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is called back to train and lead Top Gun’s elite graduates for a special mission.
The film has been in the domestic box office Top 10 for 20 weeks since its release. It has become one of the most successful films for Tom Cruise. But there are still some questions that are left unanswered. A fan theory related to the film, which can change the whole prospect, has taken over the internet.
Top Gun: Maverick Fan Theory Suggests Pete “Maverick” Mitchell Dies in the Opening Scene
Popular fan theory has become a hot topic of discussion. People have started discussing that Tom Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, dies in the opening scene. The opening scene of Top Gun: Maverick shows him flying the Dark Star and trying to push it to a speed it has never flown before.
He successfully gets to Mach 10 and tries going beyond it, which results in an explosion in the jet. After this, it is shown that Maverick manages to get out of the explosion alive. However, the fan theory suggests that Maverick actually dies during this explosion and the whole film is nothing but a dream following his death.
There are certain factors in the film that do indicate it throughout the movie. Most scenes are dreamy and indicate that the character is trying to have peace with everyone.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Confirm the Top Gun: Maverick Theory
American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson, has recently shared a tweet confirming the popular fan theory related to Top Gun: Maverick.
In the tweet he said Maverick was going 7,000 mph, giving him 400 million joules of kinetic energy, which has the explosive power of 100 kg of TNT. This huge explosion is not something that human physiology is built to survive.
“When Maverick ejected at Mach 10.5, he was going 7,000 mph, giving him 400 million joules of kinetic energy — the explosive power of 100 kg of TNT. A situation that human physiology is not designed to survive,” Neil deGrasse Tyson suggested.
The Starry Messenger author concluded his tweet by saying that there is no possibility that Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell survived the incident and he has to be dead.
Also Read: Devotion TIFF Review: An Inspiring Real-Life Top Gun
Joseph Kosinski Reacts to the Top Gun: Maverick Fan Theory
When Joseph Kosinski was asked if the theory made sense and the character really died during the opening scene, he had a simple answer to it.
“There’s a mythic kind of element to the story that I think lends itself to that sort of interpretation, based on who Maverick is and what he represents and the fact that he’s kind of going through this rite of passage at a different phase of his life,” Kosinski said.
He said that movies are meant to be interpreted in different ways and love it when people read different meanings to them. The Spiderhead director may not have confirmed the theory, but it does make sense, especially after what Neil deGrasse Tyson shared on his Twitter.
Top Gun: Maverick has become the biggest sequel of all time, and it continues to impress fans. Fans are also hoping that its success may lead the filmmakers to make a third part of the movie. But the recent updates may have suggested that Top Gun 3 may not happen for some time.
Top Gun: Maverick is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, where users can either purchase the movie or rent it on the platform. There is a possibility that the movie will be available on Paramount Plus in the future.
Source: Twitter
