Top Gun: Maverick gets first trailer ahead of long-awaited release

The first trailer for the long-awaited sequel to Top Gun has debuted, with the film set to release 34 years after the original.

Top Gun: Maverick sees Tom Cruise reprise his famous role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, and the star received a rave reception from fans during a surprise appearance at Comic Con in San Diego to show off the tease.

He was introduced on stage inside the famous Hall H at the annual pop culture convention to share a few story details, with his character now a flight instructor at the Top Gun school.

In Maverick, Cruise will be guiding the son of Goose from the first film to be a pilot, and the trailer provided a glimpse of some of the high-octane action that will arrive in cinemas next summer.

The Mission: Impossible actor is seen behind the controls of a fighter jet, as well as in his signature bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses that proved such an iconic look back in 1986.

He told the crowd in San Diego that the film would be "a love letter to aviation", adding: "I was always asked, 'when are you going to do another one?'

"Well, you've been very patient with me. I felt like it was my responsibility to really deliver for you."

Also returning from the cast of the first film is Val Kilmer as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, with Miles Teller to star as the son of Goose and Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman and Jennifer Connelly also featuring .

Maverick was originally due for release this month, but was pushed back by a year because director Joseph Kosinski and his crew needed extra time to work on flight sequences with new technology and planes.

It is now due for release in June 2020.

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