'Top Gun: Maverick' Ending Explained: Does Maverick sacrifice himself to save Rooster?
Contains spoilers for 'Top Gun: Maverick'
After 36 years of waiting, the sequel to the 1986 movie ‘Top Gun’ titled ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has finally arrived on the big screen and it’s exactly what viewers expected it to be. Set 33 years after the original movie, ‘Maverick’ sees Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) denying promotions on purpose so that he can still fly fighter jets. However, his long-time friend and now the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer), gives him the order to train the elite group of ‘Top Gun’ graduates for a special mission.
At first, Maverick is not ready to accept the job, but Iceman makes it clear that he is ordering him to do this. Reluctantly, he says yes and gets back to where he belonged. The journey will definitely not be easy because one of the graduates is Rooster (Miles Teller), who is the son of Maverick’s late best friend Goose. Will he be able to form a relationship with Rooster? Or Rooster will resent Maverick after what happened with his dad?
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The conflicting relationship between Rooster and Maverick has been perfectly portrayed in the movie. However, they are here to work on a mission and it’s touted as one of the deadliest ones because of the complications? So, what’s the mission? Let’s take a look at the how movie concluded.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Ending Explained: What’s the mission?
Maverick has been approached to teach the elite group of pilots for a mission that might turn out to be their last one. The mission is to destroy a uranium enrichment facility of a rogue nation that’s been producing uranium despite being under a NATO pact. The facility is located within a steep mountainous canyon and is heavily defended by surface-to-air missiles system and Sukhoi-57 fifth-generation fighter jets.
This means the graduates would have to fly their jets very close to the earth’s surface so that they are not picked up by the SAM system. Maverick decides that the mission will be started with four F/A-18E/Fs in two pairs, with the first pair blowing open the facility's entrance, allowing the second pair to destroy the facility itself.
The training prepares the pilots in all aspects of the mission, including the importance of teamwork. Throughout the training, everyone learns about the relationship between Maverick and Rooster, which causes a bit of a rift between Rooster and Hangman.
The team would have to complete the mission in less than 2 minutes, and 30 seconds and get over a steep mountain to get out of that place. However, as soon as they get up, the SAM system will activate and they would have to save themselves from the enemy missiles.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Ending Explained: Who does Maverick choose as his wingman?
As soon as the training starts, we get to know that the pilots don’t have three weeks to complete the training now because the uranium plant has started to exceed production. So, now the pilots have to get ready in just one week for the mission. However, Cyclone fires Maverick after an incident during the training that sends Phoenix and Bob to the hospital.
Cyclone tells the graduates that he’ll be taking over and changes the entire plan. The pilots believe that the new plan might make them sitting ducks for the enemies. However, while instructing the pilots, they realize that someone has entered the test field and it's none other than Maverick, who is flying an F-18, to demonstrate that the mission can be completed in less than 2 minutes, 15 seconds. After successfully demonstrating that it can be done, Cyclone makes Maverick the team leader and tells him to choose his team.
Maverick then chooses the mission pilots and is paired with Phoenix and her WSO Bob, while Rooster is paired with Payback and his WSO Fanboy, and the remaining pilots are on standby alert.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Ending Explained: Did Maverick and Rooster die?
The mission gets underway and the nap-of-earth approach works and the four F/A-18E/Fs are able to reach the uranium enrichment facility and destroy it. However, as soon as they escape the depression, it alerts the hostile SAMs. When the team runs out of countermeasures, Maverick sacrifices himself to save Rooster. Rooster and the team want to get back to Maverick, but Cyclone orders them to return to the carrier because he doesn’t want to lose another team member.
Maverick is in enemy territory and is being followed by an enemy helicopter. The chopper was close to killing Maverick and that’s when it is destroyed by a missile as Rooster turned back to save him. In the process, Rooster is shot down but manages to eject. The two reunite and plan to reach the carrier.
Both reach the destroyed airbase in the enemy territory and steal an F-14 to get back. However, as soon they get in the air, they are surrounded by Su-57s. When they are unable to identify the F-14 crew, they start to make a formation that could be lethal for Rooster and Maverick.
Maverick decides to outrun them with his unique style and manages to shoot down both Su-57s. However, a few moments later, a third Su-57 arrives and when it feels that it’s the end of both pilots, they are saved by Hangman. They reach the carrier where the whole crew is celebrating. Post mission, Rooster and Maverick reconcile to start working together.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Ending Explained: Did Maverick and Penny end up together?
Maverick meets Penny at a bar and gets to know that she is the owner of that place. His meeting with Penny turns out to be really important because she gives him the pep talk to find a way to return to the mission after he was fired by Cyclone.
In one of the scenes, Maverick and Penny end up making love to each other and when Maverick accidentally meets Penny’s daughter, she tells him to not break her heart again.
The movie ends with Maverick and Penny being together.