Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts, and in the middle of filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning he wished his Top Gun: Maverick a safe and happy holiday.
The commercial honoring Top Gun: Maverick, which premiered Thursday, December 22 on Paramount+, made its debut during the CBS broadcast of the NFL game pitting the Cincinnati Bengals against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the TV spot, Cruise appears in the sky preparing to jump out of a helicopter in South Africa while realizing he’s in the process of filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One & Two.
“I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming to theaters and thank you for supporting Top Gun: Maverick,” he said.
Director Christopher McQuarrie taps Cruise on the shoulder to remind him they really need to get their shot.
“We’ve got to get that shot,” Cruise says before taking a leap.
While in free fall, Cruise adds, “Thank you for supporting Top Gun: Maverick and thank you for allowing us to entertain you, it truly is the honor of a lifetime. Very happy.”
Noting that he was running out of altitude, Cruise said before drifting away, “You have a very safe and happy holiday. I’ll see you at the cinema.”
Watch the video below.
Top Gun: Maverick’s official synopsis is as follows: After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the limits and dodging the rise as a brave test pilot in rank that would ground him. Finding himself training a squad of Top Gun graduates for a special mission unlike any living pilot has seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign “Rooster”, the son of Maverick’s deceased friend. and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, also known as “Goose”.
Faced with an uncertain future and confronted with the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that will demand the ultimate sacrifice of those chosen to fly him.