Tom Cruise sure knows how to make an epic entrance.

The 59-year-old wowed fans at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere on Wednesday (local time) when he arrived in a black helicopter, touching down on a US Navy carrier docked in San Diego.

Cruise stepped out of the chopper, plastered with the name of the highly-anticipated sequel, wearing a suit, tie and aviator sunglasses.

It appears Cruise may have even landed the helicopter himself. The Hollywood A-lister learned to fly a helicopter in 2017 for a stomach-churning stunt in Mission Impossible: Fallout.

He arrived to a chorus of cheers from fans as he approached the red carpet for an interview.

“This moment right here, to see everyone here … this is pretty epic,” Cruise told MTV.

Watch his epic arrival:

The sequel comes 36 years after the original, and after four years in the making.

Paramount began development for the sequel in 2010. Filming began in 2018, with the original release date set for July 2019.

The release date was then pushed back, before ultimately being delayed for another two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cruise said it was a “daunting” task to jump back into playing Maverick.

“It was daunting. The movie means a lot to me, a lot to my career, a lot to the studio, a lot to audiences,” he said.

“Finally this story came together … We’ve been waiting a long time.”

Actor Val Kilmer will return to play Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman and Ed Harris are among the names joining on for the sequel.

Teller plays pilot trainee Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s best friend from the original film, Goose.

Pop star Lady Gaga has released a new single, Hold My Hand, to accompany the film.

The original film famously featured Berlin’s track Take My Breath Away, which won the Academy Award for best original song.

Top Gun: Maverick will arrive in Australian cinemas on May 26.