Glen Powell's first answer to Top Gun was no
Esquire's What I've Learned interview with Michael Sebastian explores Tom Cruise's collaboration lessons, fame and Powell's garage-living days.
Esquire
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Glen Powell on Why He Originally Turned Down “Top Gun: Maverick” | What I’ve Learned | Esquire
Tom Cruise's name gets the punchiest billing, but Glen Powell's hesitation gives Esquire's new interview its story. Sitting down with Editor-in-Chief Michael Sebastian for What I've Learned, Powell explains why he originally turned down Top Gun: Maverick and what Cruise taught him about collaboration. Powell ultimately played Hangman, the cocky naval aviator whose confidence makes him a useful foil to Miles Teller's Rooster.
The conversation stretches beyond the flight deck: working with J.J. Abrams, Chad Powers, authenticity and the experience of living in a garage all enter Powell's account of success. He also discusses helping others get opportunities, a principle the description calls "sending the elevator back down."
Esquire posted seven uploads, with Powell dominating the visible lineup. "No one says no to #TomCruise. #GlenPowell #TopGunMaverick" attracted the week's largest new audience, reaching about 20,000 views, and is also the channel's busiest video right now. One commenter turns the collaboration theme into a workplace joke: established stars can challenge a script, while ordinary employees risk being labeled difficult.
Other excerpts take in themed parties, being the only brother and Longhorn loyalty. The dogfight-football segment, with its shirt-off, tackle-Miles-Teller premise, is presented as sponsored by Burberry.
Across the channel, subscribers were unchanged over the week, while daily viewing is running well below its usual pace. Nearby, Ethannly is having a busier-than-usual viewing spell; The Sunday Times Style also had unchanged subscribers. Esquire's older Matthew McConaughey height clip remains active, with more than 300,000 views, giving Powell's interview some familiar company on the celebrity shelf.
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What viewers say
The comments under "No one says no to #TomCruise. #GlenPowell #TopGunMaverick"
“Challenge the script and make it better.”
Sure, if you’re Tom Cruise or Glenn Powell. But when I do it, I’m hard to work with.@iiil3v1iii7See it on YouTubeYour wrong only Chuck Norris can say no to Tom Cruise
@1stJBGamingSee it on YouTube
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- Channel
- Esquire
- Subscribers
- 246,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 556,265
- Videos published this week
- 7
- Video published
- October 7, 2026
- Video views so far
- 5,737
- Views on its first day
- 2,267
The numbers
Here is Esquire's week in views, subscribers and uploads.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which character does Glen Powell play in Top Gun: Maverick?
Powell plays naval aviator Jake "Hangman" Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick.