Cruise reprised his role as Navy officer Pete Mitchell, which he originated in the smash hit Top Gun; in the sequel, Powell appeared in his breakout role as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin.

Good! I am glad they’re taking their time and making sure they get it right for a sequel. There is a lot riding on it as a continuation but also there is a lot that probably has to factor into it. Like how famous 90% of that cast is now.

Former U.S. Navy Blue Angel and Marco Island resident Lt. Cmdr. Curtis Watson took Tom Cruise flying in 1985 to help the young actor with character development for his role as Maverick in "Top Gun," according to a 2016 Naples Daily News report.

In a recent interview with IndieWire, Powell, 37, shared that the 'Top Gun: Maverick' icon isn’t “Tom” to those who know him best. Among friends, he’s simply “TC.” “Everybody in his life calls him that,” Powell revealed. “I’ll call him Cruise, TC. But yeah, TC is how most people refer to him.”