Maverick is back — and flying a Super Hornet?

Tom Cruise teased the start of filming on the long-awaited “Top Gun” sequel on Thursday with a tweet featuring an image of an older Capt. Pete Mitchell standing in a flight suit with his famous HGU-33 helmet in hand.

Aviation enthusiasts were quick to notice the aircraft blurred in the background of the photo, which appears to be an F/A-18F Super Hornet rather than the newer F-35C that many predicted would star in the film.

The sequel — “Top Gun: Maverick” — has been 31 years in the making and follows the blockbuster 1986 original that drew more than $350 million at the box office.

'Top Gun,' Tom Cruise to return to the big screen in 2019
'Top Gun,' Tom Cruise to return to the big screen in 2019

Tom Cruise's Maverick is now a flight instructor for the next generation of Navy aviators

By: Peter Rathmell

The new movie is slated for release in July of next year. The plot is set to revolve around Maverick as he trains a new generation of pilots while adapting to the modern U.S. Navy.