The legacy of "Top Gun" is one of action, adventure, and dedication to pushing the limits. Those are all things that Tom Cruise has taken to heart in developing his own career as well, as anyone can see by tracking the path he’s taken over his decades of experience. One could even say the same about the salaries he’s been able to command, as comparing how much he made between the original outing and its legacy-quel "Top Gun: Maverick" is the difference between night and day. (But that has nothing to do with the Tom Cruise film Knight and Day.)