The upcoming "Top Gun" sequel has encountered some controversy after the trailer appeared to show that aspects of the film had been changed to “appease the Chinese Communist Party," according to Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
The recent trailer for the movie "Top Gun: Maverick" shows that patches featuring the Japanese and Taiwanese flags had been replaced on the back of the jacket worn by Tom Cruise's character in the first movie, as noted by Mark MacKinnon.
In the 1986 film, Cruise's character Maverick wears a bomber jacket with the flags of the United States, United Nations, Japan, and Taiwan on the back. In the 2019 film, Cruise is seen wearing what appears to be the same jacket. It has many of the same patches, including the U.S. and UN flags, in the same places, but the Japanese and Taiwanese flags have been replaced with generic symbols.
"Top Gun is an American classic, and it's incredibly disappointing to see Hollywood elites appease the Chinese Communist Party," Cruz told The Washington Free Beacon. "The Party uses China's economy to silence dissent against its brutal repression and to erode the sovereignty of American allies like Taiwan. Hollywood is afraid to stand up for free speech and is enabling the Party's campaign against Taiwan."
MovieWeb notes that although film companies often avoid images or subjects that could offend the Chinese government or Chinese audience members, there is an in-universe explanation. The Japanese and Taiwanese flags on Maverick's jacket are for his father's "Far East Cruise 63-4," as it says underneath the flag patches. The new patches on Maverick's jacket appear to be for his flight in the first movie, since it appears to say "Indian Ocean Cruise," and "85-86," the place and time period of the original film.
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