What is Maverick’s real name in the 1986 film Top Gun?

Maverick’s real name in the 1986 film Top Gun is Pete Mitchell.

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is a talented but impulsive United States Navy fighter pilot selected for training at the Naval Fighter Weapons School, commonly called Topgun. Tom Cruise plays the character, whose call sign reflects his independent approach and willingness to challenge authority.

Maverick trains alongside Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards. Their friendship forms a major part of the story, while Val Kilmer plays rival pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Kelly McGillis plays instructor Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood.

The film’s title refers to the Navy’s real fighter weapons school, which was established in 1969 at Naval Air Station Miramar. Top Gun became one of the most commercially successful films of 1986 and helped make naval aviation, flight-deck imagery and its soundtrack prominent parts of popular culture.