The Crucial Ending Scene That Made Maverick's Story Possible

Summary

• Top Gun: Maverick maintains the larger-than-life tone of the original, but takes a more subdued approach to character drama.
• The original movie's removal of the scene where Maverick visits Goose's grave shaped the sequel's story, as it emphasizes Maverick's guilt over his friend's death and his struggle to forgive himself.
• If the grave scene had been included, the sequel's plot would have lacked tension and depth, as Maverick's later character growth and redemption arc would have been undermined.

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While Top Gun's ending originally included an extra scene, keeping this sequence intact would have ruined Top Gun: Maverick’s entire plot. Top Gun may be a cult classic, but it is fair to say that the blockbuster action movie wasn’t overly concerned with realistic character drama. There were plenty of romantic and tragic moments in Top Gun, but director Tony Scott’s stylish hit was primarily an escapist movie – as demonstrated by the removal of a more sobering ending scene. From Maverick getting away with maneuvers that would get a real-life pilot discharged to TOPGUN holding classes in empty aircraft hangars instead of classrooms, Top Gun's priority as a wish-fulfillment fantasy was apparent through its final moments.

Top Gun originally included a scene in which Maverick got some closure by visiting Goose’s grave at the end of the film, though this cut sequence could have inadvertently ruined the movie’s much-delayed sequel before it ever began production. While Iceman’s death in Top Gun: Maverick was the catalyst that led Maverick on his final mission, it was the haunting memories of Goose’s death that held him back over the years. Top Gun: Maverick makes it clear that Cruise’s character never climbed the ranks in the Navy, maintained his relationship with Charlie, or managed to keep his personal and professional life intact because of his guilt over Goose’s death.

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This plot point wouldn’t have rung true if Top Gun had ended with Maverick visiting Goose’s grave as planned. If this scene stayed in Top Gun’s final cut, the last time viewers saw Maverick would have involved him owning up to his role in his friend’s death. Instead, the team behind Top Gun jettisoned this downbeat moment and accidentally saved the sequel in the process. Top Gun: Maverick’s plot only works because Maverick is still tortured by Goose’s untimely passing. Other than this, his struggles in the sequel are largely superficial. Maverick’s story ends so happily that many have theorized Top Gun: Maverick is a dying man’s fantasy.

Top Gun Cutting Goose's Grave Scene Shaped Maverick's Sequel Story

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