The world premiere of the long-awaited film Top Gun: Maverick has finally arrived, and a red carpet was rolled out at the USS Midway aircraft carrier stationed in San Diego, California, on Wednesday (May 4) to toast the occasion. Cast members Glen Powell, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Jon Hamm, and other A-listers arrived dressed to impress, but it was the beloved franchise’s star, Tom Cruise, who made the most explosive entrance of all.

MTV News correspondents Josh Horowitz, Dometi Pongo, and Simone Boyce hosted the premiere event, which was livestreamed on YouTube and made use of the streaming platform’s new Live Redirect feature to re-route audiences from 150 Paramount-affiliated channels. They greeted celebrities as they walked onto the ship while an American flag fluttered above the deck.

Hamm recited one of his favorite lines from the original 1986 Top Gun, amping up the fans who had gathered nearby. Powell spoke about pouring “blood, sweat, tears — and puke” into the film.

Following an exclusive sneak preview of the new film, Cruise swooped in. The action hero, who has had his pilot's license since 1994 and even designed the flight plan for the film, circled overhead in a helicopter. As the aircraft descended to the deck, Cruise stepped onto the ship to resounding applause from fans, as well as his co-stars, producers, and directors.

He then joined Horowitz for a chat, reflecting on Top Gun’s legacy. “What it became to audiences and through the generations is something I couldn’t even imagine," he said.

It was an appropriately splashy entrance for a seriously sensational movie. In Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise reprises his character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Where the original met him as a young, headstrong pilot, the sequel visits Mitchell as a seasoned aviator with over 30 years of experience mentoring a new generation of flyers. Called to a dangerous new mission, he is forced to reckon with the ghosts of his past and confront his deepest fears.

Finally releasing over three decades after its predecessor and following several lengthy delays, Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters nationwide on May 27. The same day, Interscope Records will release the collection Music From the Motion Picture Top Gun: Maverick, which will include “Hold My Land,” an original song by Lady Gaga that was first released on May 3.