# Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Peter "Maverick" Mitchell is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Top Gun franchise. He is portrayed by Tom Cruise. The character first appeared in the 1986 film Top Gun, followed by Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.

## Casting

Actor Matthew Modine turned down the role of Pete Mitchell because he felt the film's pro-military stance went against his politics. The producers of Top Gun wanted Tom Cruise for the role after seeing him in Risky Business. Cruise was offered the part while he was in London filming Legend, Cruise was reluctant to take the part but director Tony Scott's brother Ridley Scott convinced him to do so.
Cruise was paid between $12–14 million to reprise the role in Top Gun: Maverick, which was revised to over $100 million after his share of the film's box office gross.

## Character biography

Mitchell was born to naval aviator Duke Mitchell who died in aerial combat on November 5, 1965, and an unidentified mother.

## Appearances
### Top Gun (1986)

In the 1986 film Top Gun, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, portrayed by Tom Cruise, is a young and charismatic naval aviator with a distinctive appearance. He is often seen wearing a leather G-1 military flight jacket, white T-shirt, blue 501 Levi Jeans, with cowboy boots, aviator sunglasses, and a flight suit, which adds to his iconic and rugged image as a fighter pilot. Maverick's appearance reflects the cool and rebellious nature of his character, making him one of the most recognizable figures in the film.

### Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Thirty years after graduating from Top Gun and the events of the first Top Gun film, Mitchell is a decorated test pilot whose repeated insubordination has kept him from flag rank. His style of clothing is similar to the previous film with the addition of a Sage-green CWU-36/P zip-up flight jacket with styled collar. Maverick's friend and former Top Gun rival Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer), now Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), has assigned Maverick to the Top Gun school at NAS North Island. Maverick reunites with former girlfriend Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), to whom he reveals that he promised Rooster's dying mother that Rooster would not become a pilot. Over the course of the film, Maverick shoots down two Su-57 enemy aircraft which, in addition to the three MiGs he shot down in the original, earn him the status of flying ace.

### Awards and decorations

The following are the awards and decorations fictionally worn by Maverick as a U.S. Navy service member.
Naval Aviator Badge :
| Silver Star ||||||
| Legion of Merit | Legion of Merit | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal |
| Air Medal with strike/flight numeral "2" device | Air Medal with strike/flight numeral "2" device | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal |
| Navy Combat Action Ribbon | Navy Combat Action Ribbon | Joint Meritorious Unit Award | Joint Meritorious Unit Award | Navy "E" Ribbon | Navy "E" Ribbon |
| National Defense Service Medal with one service star | National Defense Service Medal with one service star | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars | Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars |
| Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two service stars | Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with two service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with two service stars | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon | Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon | United Nations Medal | United Nations Medal |
| Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | Navy Expert Rifleman Medal | Navy Expert Rifleman Medal | Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal | Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal |

## Reception

With the release of Top Gun, the character has been credited as one of Cruise's most iconic roles and one of many that helped launch him into Hollywood stardom. Cruise's performance in Top Gun: Maverick received widespread critical acclaim, more so than the first film, with some reviewers saying it is one of the best of his career. Tatsam Mukherjee of Firstpost wrote that Cruise "wants nothing less than our jaws on the floor. Proving that no amount of multiverse films or superstar cameos will replace the blood, sweat and adrenaline of an actor legitimately trying to push the boundaries of filmmaking. We can be rest assured that if it's a Tom Cruise film, he will not let us down."