After four years, Tom Cruise is making his big-screen return with the upcoming action blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. The film is a direct and long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun and continues naval aviator Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's story as he trains a new generation of fighter pilots. Top Gun: Maverick premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival recently, and the film's reception seems to have taken everyone by surprise, including Tom Cruise.Tom Cruise has been in the industry for four decades and is one of the most famous Hollywood stars in the world. Known for his good looks and incredible charisma, Tom Cruise started his career with comedies like Risky Business but soon established himself as an action star with films like Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and the Mission Impossible series. The veteran actor was honored at Cannes for his many contributions to films. As the Top Gun: Maverick cast made their way onto the red carpet, eight French fighter jets performed a flyby, painting the sky red, white, and blue as Cruise and the rest of the cast looked up in awe.Just before the screening of Top Gun: Maverick, the attendees were shown a tribute reel with all of Tom Cruise's greatest highlights. The crowd cheered as the Rainman star took the stage, and he was presented with a surprise honorary Palme d'Or, the festival's highest award. Cruise, who seemed genuinely taken aback by the gesture, addressed the audience in a heartfelt speech (via Variety):

"This is an incredible evening and an incredible time. Just to see everyone’s faces. It’s been 36 years since the first ‘Top Gun’ and we’ve had to hold it years for the pandemic. This movie was a dream. We talked about it when filming. I just want to see everyone’s faces. There’s no masks and we’re in a movie theater. I’m going to take this all in and I feel very grateful. We’re here for you. I make all these movies for all of you and I’m very blessed to do what I do. Enjoy this evening. You all have made my life."

Related: These Are the Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked

Top Gun: Maverick Is Being Hailed As One Of Tom Cruise’s Best Films Ever

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Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise made his Cannes comeback after 30 years, and it appears that Top Gun: Maverick may become the first mega-budget action film to win the best picture Oscar. The film has received overwhelming acclaim from critics and is currently sitting on a 97% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. That is quite impressive and especially for an action movie (not made by Marvel or DC) nowadays, as they often turn out to be divisive.

However, Top Gun: Maverick received a five-minute standing ovation at Cannes, which is probably the first for an action movie since 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Per reports, the crowd was quite interactive and frequently gasped and cheered at the spectacular stunts. But the loudest applause came during a scene featuring Val Kilmer and Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick together. As impatient as that makes everyone to see the duo reunite after 36 years, fans will have to wait till Memorial Day to check out the long-awaited legacy sequel.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, Top Gun: Maverick also stars Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell, and Jon Hamm.

Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters worldwide on May 27, 2022.