Tom Cruise
Actor Tom Cruise poses on the red carpet for a screening of the film "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" in New York July 27, 2015. Reuters/Brendan McDermid

New pictures from the production set of “Top Gun: Maverick” have leaked online. The pictures tease Pete Mitchell (Maverick) will be back in the air in his very own fighter jet. The following article contains minor spoilers.

The last time fans saw Maverick, he got to pick his next assignment after taking down multiple enemy jets in a aerial dogfight. He had chosen to be a trainer at Top Gun. Pictures posted on HeroicHollywood suggest that this will not just be a desk job for the character.

Cruise can be seen in his pilot jumpsuit, interacting with the other cast and crew members on the set. One of the pictures show that Captain Pete Mitchell will have his very own fighter jet, which he should be using to train the next generation of pilots.

There are a lot of vintage fighters planes on the set. Cruise can be seen inspecting these plane too, suggesting that they may have a role to play in the way Maverick will train the young pilots.

Readers should note that in the 1986 “Top Gun” film, the trainer Viper (Tom Skerritt) flew the adversary plane A-4 Skyhawk, which is smaller and more manoeuvrable. The plane was ideal for training as the US pilots were expected to face the Russian Mig 28s, which are also small and manoeuvrable. It remains to be seen what plane Maverick will use as the trainer.

The plot of the upcoming film will revolve around Maverick training Goose’s (Anthony Edwards) son, among the other pilots. Val Kilmer will be reprising his role as Iceman, and Miles Teller will be playing the role of Goose’s son.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is set to be released on June 26, 2020 in the US. The producers are yet to announce a release date for Australia.