A Fake Tom Cruise Fooled Everyone at San Diego Comic-Con 2019

Fans at Comic-Con this weekend lined up to take pictures with a man they thought was Tom Cruise, [...]

By Michael Hein

Fans at Comic-Con this weekend lined up to take pictures with a man they thought was Tom Cruise, only to realize that he was a look-alike -- albeit an incredibly convincing one. The impersonator was dressed as Cruise's Top Gun character, Maverick, and he was flying high off of all the attention he got.

The Tom Cruise impersonator may have had more fun than any other cosplayer at this year's convention. In a flight jacket and aviator shades, he walked through the crowd posing for selfies and smiling at fans. Reporters from TMZ approached him while sitting outside in a Ferrari, where many fans mistook him for the real Cruise.

The cameraman marveled at fans' reaction to the cosplayer, though it was unclear if the cosplayer himself was doing much to convince them either way. San Diego Comic-Con is filled with people dressed as their favorite characters, so it can hardly be held against this man that he did a convincing job.

The timing was perfect, as the trailer and Top Gun: Maverick dropped at Comic-Con this weekend. The franchise picks up more than two decades later, with Cruise reprising his role as the title character and Val Kilmer returning as Iceman.

Some of the actors were in attendance in the con as well, not just their cosplay counterparts. Cruise stopped by the Top Gun panel unannounced, giving a thrill to the assembled crowd. In introducing the trailer, he also reminisced about the original, and how the project was tied to Comic-Con itself.

"Thirty-four years ago, I made a movie in San Diego and shot across the street in a restaurant," Cruise said, "San Diego is a special place for Top Gun and the sequel was shot here last summer. I was always asked 'When are you going to do another one?' Well, you've been very patient with me. I felt like it was my responsibility to really deliver for you."

Cruise went on to call the movie a "love letter to aviation." His co-star, Kilmer, was not at the con, though he was photographed in New York City at the same time. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017, and over the weekend he was seen wearing a brace around his neck. Some fans are wondering what his role in the film will be.

Top Gun: Maverick is slated for release in 2020. Stay tuned for a firm release date as soon as it is announced.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of