Top Gun: Maverick Star Reveals One Downside About The Film

"Top Gun: Maverick" is nothing short of a phenomenon. The film smashed a major box office record during its opening weekend and ultimately raked in over $1.2 billion (via Box Office Mojo). Maverick's second outing was originally set to fly into theaters in 2019 before being delayed to 2020, but of course, the impact of COVID-19 forced Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise to postpone the film's release for another two years.

Now that "Top Gun: Maverick" is finally out, it seems as if no one can stop singing its praises. Not only has it dominated the box office, emerging as one of 2022's most surprising hits, but the film also boasts a Certified Fresh 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's safe to say that it has been a great summer for the film's crew and cast members, the latter of whom had to complete intense training to sell the idea of being Navy fighter pilots.

With critical and commercial praise, it's hard to imagine there being anything wrong with having "Top Gun: Maverick" on your résumé. However, one of its stars has admitted that appearing in the long-awaited sequel to Tony Scott's action film has had an interesting effect on their career.

At CinemaCon 2022 (via CinemaBlend), Hangman star Glen Powell opened up about how the wait for the film's release amid the delays was difficult on his career. "It's a bit of a bummer when you have to kind of wait for your career to start," Powell said. "It's a great secret, this amazing thing that you can't show to anybody. But it is really a great feeling knowing you are sitting on a winner, you know, knowing that you're working with the best filmmakers."

The trail-blazing sequel served as a breakout film for Powell, whose previous screen credits include the historical drama "Hidden Figures" and an unnamed bit in "The Dark Knight Rises." The actor was originally brought in to audition for Rooster, though the role ultimately went to Miles Teller. Despite failing to nab the secondary lead role in "Maverick," Powell gave a valiant performance as the cocky and brash Hangman, who receives a heroic, crowd-pleasing moment in the film's nail-biting third act.

Prior to the film's release, Powell praised Tom Cruise and Paramount for releasing the sequel in theaters, allowing him and the rest of the less-established actors in the movie to shine on the big screen. "When you're betting on this movie to give you hopefully a little bit more ammunition in Hollywood, it's really tough," Powell told Entertainment Weekly. "I've got to give Tom and Paramount credit, they stuck to their guns."