Top Gun Producer Explains How Maverick Was Able To Overcome Marvel & DC

Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer explains why the sequel surpassed comic-book films from Marvel and DC. Bruckheimer is the producer of the new Top Gun film, as well as the original, and has been a massively-successful fixture in Hollywood for decades. He is responsible for such films as Beverly Hills Cop, National Treasure, Bad Boys, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many more projects that have left a lasting legacy of quality throughout his tenure.

Top Gun: Maverick has been a tremendous success, which is surprising given the 35-year gap between the original and the sequel. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy, Oblivion) and once again starring Tom Cruise in the lead role, Top Gun: Maverick recently surpassed Avengers: Infinity War as the sixth highest-grossing film domestically. With a worldwide box-office total of $1.4 billion, Top Gun: Maverick has also flown past DC films like Aquaman and this year's The Batman, taking the crown from the comic-book genre for the first time in a long time.

In an interview with EW, Bruckheimer discusses the success of Top Gun: Maverick in relation to comic-book films from Marvel and DC, explaining that audiences "have been seeing so much CGI" over the years. While he doesn't think this is a bad thing, he adds that "it's also nice to see the real deal," which is what the Maverick is all about. Here's Bruckheimer's full comment:

The audiences love the Marvel, they love the DC stuff. They're beautifully made by really talented people. Sometimes you want to see something that's real, and that's what Top Gun gave us… These aviators are out there protecting our country right now, flying around the world, and you're taking a ride with them. You're seeing what they do, you're seeing what their life is like, and the trials and tribulations that they have to go through. You're actually experiencing it with our actors.

Top Gun: Maverick is set to hit Blu-ray and streaming on August 23, allowing it to no doubt break even more records on home video. Still, that doesn't mean it's done breaking box-office records. Currently sitting at $683 million domestically, it's entirely possible that if Top Gun: Maverick stays in theaters long enough, it could surpass Black Panther, which is currently in fifth place with $700 million. With Avatar sitting at $760 million, it's likely that Top Gun: Maverick would top out there (if it goes that far). That is still a monumental achievement that has put the comic-book genre in its jet wash.

Ironically, Top Gun: Maverick was never expected to be as big of a hit as it has become, but has proven that quality can overcome anything, especially when audiences recognize it. While the film's success certainly won't stop comic-book films from being made, it will likely open up the doors for more films like Maverick to find their way to theaters. Hopefully, a third sequel to Top Gun will arrive well before another 35-year wait. At the same time, perhaps it's a good lesson for Marvel and DC, showing that letting things gestate awhile can improve the hype, quality, and reception to a spectacle film, rather than churning them out on an assembly line.