Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took a belated potshot at actor Tom Cruise’s high-flying summer blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick,” but NASA astronaut Scott Kelly brought him back down to earth.
Tyson shared his thoughts in a tweet on Sunday, acknowledging that he was a bit behind the times — as the movie was released in theaters four months earlier — and going on to offer a scientific explanation as to why a certain part of the film was impossible.
“Late to the party here, but in this year’s @topgunmovie, @TomCruise’s character Maverick ejects from a hypersonic plane at Mach 10.5, before it crashed,” Tyson tweeted. “He survived with no injuries. At that air speed, his body would splatter like a chainmail glove swatting a worm. Just sayin’.”
Late to the party here, but In this year’s @TopGunMovie, @TomCruise’s character Maverick ejects from a hypersonic plane at Mach 10.5, before it crashed.
He survived with no injuries.
At that air speed, his body would splatter like a chainmail glove swatting a worm. Just sayin’. pic.twitter.com/YP9IKVc8VS
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) October 9, 2022
Author Hannah Ines Flint argued that Cruise was simply made of tougher stuff, tweeting, “Sure for a normal man, but this is Tom Cruise. Man don’t bleed.”
“I have a saying in the writers room: ‘Entertainment over logic.’ If you want something that adamantly adheres to the facts, watch a documentary,” producer Steven DeKnight added.
Actor Matthew Marsden’s response was much simpler and cut straight to the point: “It’s a movie.”
“I need Neil deGrasse Tyson to watch a Marvel movie,” Matt Ramos said.
Liz Cassey responded with sarcasm, adding, “I can tell you from personal TV CSI experience that crime scenes aren’t actually solved by people in high heeled boots and DNA processing is rarely if ever set to rock music.”
“Not just late to the party, but clears it out immediately,” screenwriter Gary Whitta tweeted.
Co-host of “The Post Credit Podcast” Cade Onder added, “Science doesn’t apply to Tom Cruise, you absolute nerd.”
Author Hugh Howey expressed his frustration with Tyson, saying, “One of the great minds of our times has dedicated itself to be as annoying as humanly possible.”
But it was Commander Scott Kelly — former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain — who put things in perspective with his response.
“Depends on his altitude,” the former International Space Station (ISS) Commander replied. “I was going Mach 25 when I left the ISS on a spacewalk and that was just fine.”
Depends on his altitude. I was going Mach 25 when I left the ISS on a spacewalk and that was just fine. https://t.co/w2LP91SX06
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 10, 2022