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Cruise controlled: Top Gun movie delayed

Updated: 08 September 2021

Sister publication Empire magazine is reporting the US release of the new Top Gun film has been put back to December 23, 2020, due to Coronavirus. Since the UK launch was slated for after the US one in the original plan, it’s now entirely likely we won’t see Maverick and Goose again until 2021.

Time to dig out the first film and enjoy a throwback Thursday instead? 

A trailer (above) for the 2020 Top Gun 2: Maverick movie gives us a glimpse at Tom Cruise’s brand new steed – and all the indications so far point to it being a Kawasaki Ninja H2.

From the large tank, distinctive nose-forward styling and wing-esque mirrors, the bike we’re talking about isn’t the GPZ900 from the previous film – which is shown for far longer in the trailer – but the new model Cruise pulls up on next to the aircraft statue at 31 seconds in.

Tom Cruise on a Kawasaki H2

Indeed, there has been a slew of images on online celebrity sites showing Cruise at the set of the film atop an H2 Carbon, and the previous trailer showed him racing one against a jet on a runway.

We reckon it’s a pretty good bet we’ll see an H2 in all its glory when the film’s released on June 26, 2020. MCN has approached Kawasaki UK for comment. We’ll update this page with more when we get it, and keep an eye out for our Top Gun: Maverick review coming once the film’s released.

Tom Cruise races a fighter jet on a Kawasaki H2

6 motorcycles ridden by Tom Cruise

First published 29 October 2018 by Ben Clarke

Tom Cruise has a long history of incorporating motorbikes into his films.

From the Kawasaki GPZ900R he rode in Top Gun in 1986, to the Triumphs and BMWs in the Mission Impossible franchise and a Ducati Hypermotard in action/comedy Knight and Day.

He has recently been snapped riding a Kawasaki Ninja H2 on the set of the latest Top Gun film, too. Cruise does as much of his own riding as he can, and clearly likes his bikes. Here is a selection of five times he has been captured on two wheels:

Mission: Impossible Fallout – BMW R nine T Scrambler

Tom Cruise rides a BMW R nine T Scrambler

Cruise filmed a chase sequence on the streets of Paris which included a lap of the Arc de Triomphe against the flow of traffic and ended (unsurprisingly) in a crash. The film makers used state-of-the-art camera equipment mounted on an electric bike to capture the tracking shots for the sequence.

Knight and Day – Ducati Hypermotard (ish)

Some scenes in Knight and Day used an Aprilia disguised as a Ducati

The bike used in 2010’s Knight and Day is a Ducati Hypermotard, except when it’s not. In order for stunt riders to successfully perform a jump in one scene they used a dressed-up Aprilia SXV 550 instead.

Mission: Impossible 3 – Confederate Hellcat F131

Cruise rode a Confederate Hellcat to the Mission: Impossible 3 premiere

You might be scratching your head to remember where a Hellcat featured in the third Mission: Impossible film, but that’s because Cruise rode the bike to the New York premiere, rather than in the film.

The exclusive bikes are made in small numbers and sold for big money, often to Hollywood celebrities.

War of the Worlds – Honda Valkyrie Rune

Cruise arrived at the War of the Worlds premiere on a Honda Valkyrie

Another movie premiere, another bike. This time Cruise arrived at the War of the Worlds premiere with his then wife, Katie Holmes, on a Honda Valkyrie Rune which he rode right up the red carpet.

Edge of Tomorrow – Triumph Thruxton custom

Tom Cruise riding a Triumph Thruxton

Triumph made a custom Thruxton especially for the filming of Edge of Tomorrow featuring matte black paint. Cruise’s character uses the bike to speed through the streets of London, including a spin down the Mall. How British can you get?

Top Gun – Kawasaki GPZ900R

The film that started Cruise’s on-screen love affair with the motorcycle, Top Gun, had a starring role for a Kawasaki GPZ900R. A now iconic scene shows him speeding (helmetless, of course) down the runway alongside a fighter jet, complete with Ray-Ban sunglasses and a leather flight jacket.

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By Gareth Evans

Head of digital - motorcycling; engineering enthusiast, historic motorsport fan. Gareth is an award-winning NCTJ-trained journalist and editor, a member of the British Society of Magazine Editors and a digital publishing nerd. He's worked in both bike and car journalism over a career spanning 15 years, and regularly contributes to Classic Cars magazine and Parkers.co.uk alongside his work in motorcycling. He's running a Kawasaki Ninja 650 this year on the MCN Fleet.