Is Top Gun: Maverick's Hypersonic Darkstar Jet Real?
Top Gun: Maverick shows off a new hypersonic jet called the Darkstar — but is it real? From the release of the film's first trailer, aviation enthusiasts have noticed Maverick's sleek black jet, theorizing as to its origins. As it turns out, the aircraft seen in Top Gun: Maverick's intense opening scene may actually have a real-world relative.
Top Gun: Maverick opens with Captain Pete «Maverick» Mitchell (Tom Cruise) test-flying a jet that is referred to as the Darkstar. The aircraft is incredibly high-tech, sporting all sorts of bells and whistles, and even goes up to slightly over Mach 10. With most of Maverick being practical instead of CGI, many of the aircraft are either real or modified versions of real jets. However, due to the Darkstar's capabilities and appearance, some viewers have questioned the jet's origins.
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Top Gun: Maverick's hypersonic Darkstar jet actually has some surprising real-life origins. The triangular black jet is incredibly similar in design to the SR-71 Blackbird, one of the fastest planes ever created. The SR-71 is capable of outrunning missiles and can get up to Mach 3. While the Darkstar is very similar to this jet, the SR-71 is only a partial inspiration for Maverick's Mach 10 aircraft. In fact, the Darkstar is actually based on a much cooler jet: the unreleased successor to the SR-71.
As reported by Deadline, aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin actually did work on the film, consulting on the real jet fighter planes in Top Gun: Maverick. Maverick director Joseph Kosinski revealed that the design for the film's planes (including the Darkstar) are lifted from experimental aircraft created by Skunk Works, Lockheed's advanced development
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