As Top Gun: Maverick finally looks to be out of the danger zone of upcoming movies born from long awaited delays, Tom Cruise and his studio must be ecstatic. It certainly helps matters that the new Lady Gaga single tying into the film is going over well with fans who are waiting for their own turn to enjoy the continuing adventures of Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. But if it wasn’t for Cruise’s trademark "go-to attitude", he may not have fired the previous candidate.
Who Was Originally Considered To Write Top Gun: Maverick’s Song?
Tyler Joseph, the lead singer of Twenty One Pilots, revealed himself to be the previous candidate to write Top Gun: Maverick’s big tie-in single. What’s more, his appearance on KROQ’s Klein and Ally Show would also include some further context on just where the process had gone before Joseph got the axe. He wasn’t the only one to be dismissed, as mentioned in this anecdote:
You know, funny thing ... I don't know if I'm even supposed to say this. Whatever. I was working with the music placement person for the new Top Gun on writing a new song for them. And then I believe Tom Cruise came in and just fired everyone.
Twenty One Pilots aren't strangers to the recent revival of tie-in singles. Tyler Joseph and his band actually found themselves on the massively popular soundtrack for 2016's Suicide Squad, courtesy of the song "Heathens." While Joseph admits he was part of the Top Gun: Maverick musical process, he also noted just how far he'd gotten into the process before the plug was pulled.
How Far Did Tyler Joseph Get With His Top Gun: Maverick Experience?
While Joseph admits he was part of the Top Gun: Maverick musical process, he also noted that it wasn’t a process that got very far. Continuing to shed some light on the story at hand, he added these details to the overall story:
The trailer's been out for three years, so there's been a few overhauls, and I was a part of that. ... I actually don't think I started writing. It was actually pretty soon after they brought me in to show me parts of the movie, and what they were looking for...then I got word that there was a wholesale swap.
As we’ve seen in the world of movie tie-in singles, even if Tyler Joseph and Twenty One Pilots kept the gig, it’s not to say their song would have been the final product used. Just as the many artists who actually recorded alternate/unused James Bond themes, as a full fledged work can find itself ditched at the 11th hour.
At the very least, the efforts that Tom Cruise has made in services of Top Gun’s latest musical milestone seem to have come from the right place. Crediting Lady Gaga for nailing “the heartbeat” of Maverick’s story, “Hold My Hand” is another example of what a handpicked Cruise recommendation can do. Though curiosity still has me, and probably the rest of the world, wondering what Twenty One Pilots would have come up with-- should they have gone the distance.
Chalk that up as another of the many “what ifs” that Top Gun: Maverick will carry into the history books. Here's hoping it can shatter some box office records with a barnstorming performance on Memorial Day weekend. Meanwhile, you can hear and see Lady Gaga’s performance of “Hold My Hand”, thanks to the single/music video being available through various streaming platforms.
