With so many years separating Top Gun introduced hotshot naval aviator Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he is sent to an elite school for Navy pilots where they face off to find out who is the best of the best. Before Maverick can use his skills in actual combat, he has to get over the tragic loss of his best friend, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, who died during a training exercise gone wrong.
More than thirty years later, the Oblivion), giving him plenty of time to advance. Or to keep himself exactly where he wants: in the air - especially if it means that Tom Cruise is performing his own flying stunts.
Now with Goose's son old enough to hold the same title as Maverick in Top Gun, Pete Mitchell has to have risen through the ranks to some degree. The trailer once again shed some light as to how far he has come in that time. According to what is painted on Maverick's fight jet, he has advanced his way from lieutenant to that of captain. In the Navy, this is the equivalent of a colonel in the Army. This is a pretty significant advancement, but it is easy to believe that Maverick could have gone further if it weren't for his love of flying, especially considering other characters that flew with Maverick in Top Gun are now his bosses.
It has been confirmed that original cast not returning.
Maverick's advancement to captain in Top Gun: Maverick should be just significant enough to keep him in charge of the new pilots, while there are several irals around to keep him in check, including a new character played by Jon Hamm. Whether Maverick would be up for further advancement after the events of the movie and whether he would even accept it if it meant he wouldn't be flying anymore is yet to be seen.
Note: Line about a captain's rank equivalency was updated.
