When Austin Butler’s Bold Decision To Turn Down Top Gun: Maverick For Tarantino’s Film Paid Off Big Time

Austin Butler wasn’t feeling the need for speed. When he got the opportunity to join Top Gun: Maverick, he opted instead for a trip down Quentin Tarantino’s Hollywood Boulevard. “I don’t want to do that,” Butler said. Big gamble, right? But it paid off big time.

Butler’s Big Win: Why Choosing Top Gun: Maverick Over Tarantino Paid Off

Flashback to 2018: Tom Cruise was already teasing Maverick in May, while Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood started filming later that summer. Both projects were buzzing, but Butler had to choose. He rolled the dice and, well, hit the jackpot.

Fast-forward to today, and it’s safe to say Butler’s Hollywood map didn’t need fighter jets. Tarantino himself couldn’t stop raving about Top Gun: Maverick. “I f—ing love Top Gun: Maverick,” he alluded on the ReelBlend podcast. He called it “a cinematic spectacle” and praised its heartfelt nod to the late Tony Scott, the original Top Gun director. For Tarantino, it wasn’t just a sequel—it was “the closest we’re ever going to get to seeing one more Tony Scott movie.”

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But back to Butler. While he didn’t step into Cruise’s cockpit, he eventually found his wings in Masters of the Air on Apple TV+. Playing Major Gale Cleven, a WWII pilot leading daring bombing raids, Butler swapped Maverick’s high-fives for history lessons. Think less volleyball and more vintage bomber jackets.

At the show’s premiere, Butler shared how the role almost made him want to take to the skies for real. “I’m rusty now, but I feel like I could [fly],” he joked. Working with producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg was another highlight, with Butler reuniting with Hanks after their Elvis collaboration. “He approaches everything with such care and kindness,” Butler said.

Sure, Maverick soared—$1.5 billion at the box office is no joke. Director Joseph Kosinski and Cruise poured heart and nostalgia into every scene, revisiting locations from the original to honor Tony Scott’s legacy. Tarantino called it “fantastic” and applauded the love for Scott “in every frame.”

For Butler, though, skipping Maverick wasn’t a miss. Tarantino’s film paved the runway for his rise from Hollywood to Elvis, where he truly stole the show. And hey, if he ever regrets not piloting a fighter jet, he can always rewatch Maverick. Something tells us he’s just fine, though.

Because sometimes, the boldest moves come from knowing when to say, “No, thanks.”

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