Top Gun: Maverick Removes Japanese and Taiwanese Flags from Tom Cruise’s Jacket

The latest trailer for Tom Cruise’s upcoming Top Gun: Maverick film revealed that two patches from Cruise’s iconic bomber jacket have been removed.

The two patches which featured both the Japanese and Taiwanese flags no longer appear on Maverick’s bomber jacket. Not only were the patches with the Japanese and Taiwanese flags removed, but the main patch in the middle of the jacket was also altered.

In the original film, the main patch read “Far East Cruise 63-4, USS Galveston.” As Military.com points out this patch commemorated “a real-life US battleship’s tour of Japan, Taiwan, and the Western Pacific.

Now the patch reads Indian Ocean Cruise 85-86.

It’s unclear why the patches have been removed from Maverick’s jacket in the latest trailer.

Fan speculation points to the fact that the film is attempting to appease Communist controlled China. Chinese technology giant Tencent and its subsidiary Tencent Pictures partnered with Paramount Pictures for the film as “an investor and co-marketer.”

However, a few astute fans of the original film note that the Indian Ocean Cruise patch could be in reference to Maverick’s tour in the original Top Gun film.

In fact, the original Top Gun film opens up with Maverick’s aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise patrolling the waters in the Indian Ocean.

Maverick returns to that ship in the final battle of the film.

What do you make of Maverick’s patches being changed for Top Gun: Maverick? Are you looking forward to Top Gun: Maverick?

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