If you’ve got a need for speed, then you are in luck. Tom Cruise has tweeted out that, after years of development and stops and starts, Top Gun: Maverick has begun filming.

Top Gun originally hit theaters back in 1986. For many of us, that was before we were even born. Still, the film has managed to continue to delight fans of all ages, earning a place as a modern classic.

Because of this, it isn’t surprising that talks of creating a sequel to the film began to circulate. And while it’s been a long journey to get this Top Gun sequel to become reality, Tom Cruise tweeted out an image that let fans know filming has finally begun on the long-awaited sequel.

The tweet features a photo of Cruise as Maverick, holding his iconic helmet, standing in front of a fighter. And while a quick look at the image might make you think this is just a recycled image from Top Gun, a closer look at the rank on Cruise’s shoulder shows that this is, in fact, an image from Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy back in 1986, but the rank on his shoulders now bears the insignia of a Navy Captain (the equivalent to a Colonel in the Army, Air Force, and Marines). It appears Maverick’s leveled up quite a bit since we saw him last!

It’s good to know that all of these years hasn’t quieted Maverick’s need for speed. Of course, his love of flying will be challenged in this new movie. As The Hollywood Reporter explains that in the sequel, Maverick and other seasoned fighter pilots grapple with the advancement of modern warfare and drone tech that is beginning to make their style of flying a thing of the past.

How will Maverick adapt to the advancement of modern technology? Well, we have a bit of a wait before we get to find out in Top Gun: Maverick. The long-awaited sequel is currently slated to land in theaters on July 12, 2019.