Fans may recognise a familiar name in a memorial tribute when the closing credits of Top Gun: Maverick roll: Tony Scott, director of the original Top Gun, who committed suicide in August 2012.

Scott was a part of the dialogue when thoughts about a sequel began more than a decade ago, and his presence is still felt in 2022.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told THR, “He’s with us now and watching over us and it’s sad he can’t be here but I think [sequel director] Joe [Kosinski] did a phenomenal job of taking a leap from what Tony did,” at the film’s world premiere in San Diego, adding that members of Scott’s family were in attendance.

Read more: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ rises to a huge $124 million

Tom Cruise viewed the picture for Scott’s brother Ridley Scott after it was finished, according to writer Christopher McQuarrie, who spoke about the director’s legacy, “We’re all here because of Tony. You’ve got to remember that in 1986 when you saw Top Gun, Top Gun wasn’t Top Gun yet — the movies weren’t what they are now and Top Gun was a tectonic shift and that’s owed to Tony.”

As McQuarrie added, “When Tony was firing on all cylinders there was nobody better, and I don’t think in his lifetime he really got the recognition he deserves as a truly influential, powerful filmmaker.”

Read more: Jon Hamm: Top Gun: Maverick’s Casting Is Profound History

The film went on to gross $160.5 million during Memorial Day weekend, making it the highest opening weekend for the holiday in history as well as Cruise’s career.

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