Top Gun: Maverick has been a nice blend of nostalgia and presenting new scenarios. One scene that signifies this the best is the viral, shirtless football scene between Maverick and his young students. One of those co-stars who took part in the scene was the film’s breakout star, Glen Powell. Of course, everyone in the scene was sculpted and beach-ready. But looking like Greek gods was harder than you think, according to Powell. After filming the infamous scene, he recalled himself and the cast chowing down and receiving bad news immediately after.
The Maverick breakout star spilled about what it was really like filming the shirtless beach scene to USA Today (opens in new tab). He recalled the day before the shooting that he and his male co-stars worked out vicariously in the gym and ate protein. Powell even mentioned all the guys getting “one last pump” in before playing football on the beach. Of course, things went off without a hitch for millions of viewers to ogle at. But that all went out the window after filming, much to the delight of the Hidden Figures actor. The cast got to chow down after months of restrictive diets and rigorous workouts. Unfortunately, the release was sullied a bit by some unwelcome news.
We lived it up. Then we get a call right after dinner. It was like: ‘We got the vibe, but we need more. We’re going to have to reshoot in a couple of weeks.’
What a wonderful way to burst someone’s food bubble. Imagine settling into your food coma only to be told they need more footage to complete the anticipated Top Gun: Maverick scene. You would think the cast must’ve felt some way after learning that news, but it didn’t phase them. Powell recalled the group’s nonchalant reaction to the unfortunate news with tater tots.
Right then, we took down more tater tots than a human has ever eaten.
At least, the news didn’t stop the cast from enjoying their meal. There’s nothing more satisfying than scarfing down on hot tater tots before getting back to their intense workouts and diets. It seemed to work out as their football game didn’t show any signs of tots feasting on their well-oiled shirtless bodies.
Seeing GLen Powell’s well-toned body in the high-flying sequel wouldn’t have been possible if he had turned down the role of Hangman after being passed over for Rooster. Of course, Tom Cruise insisted on him accepting the role leading to him taking the offer. He wouldn’t have gotten to see Cruise’s go-go-go attitude in real-time. But the Hollywood veteran’s words also helped him figure out his career trajectory.
If you want to watch the shirtless football scene in real-time, you catch Top Gun: Maverick in any movie theater. The sequel is still setting new records weeks after its release. In the meantime, you can check out what other upcoming action films are being released in 2022.