The naval carrier that functioned as the passive, floating enabler to Maverick and Goose’s crippling addiction to speed is not long for this world. Entertainment Weekly reports that, much like dear, departed Goose, the naval carrier Ranger—made famous by its appearance in Top Gun—has suffered a fatal blow while trying to save itself from destruction. Presumably, Tom Cruise will soon be gently cradling the vessel in his arms while knowing, deep down, that it was all his dumb showboating which led to this sorry fate.
The carrier was sold to a corporation last year after repeated efforts to turn it into a museum failed. However, in early January, a petition called “Save The Ranger” emerged attempting to prevent the ship’s final voyage to the scrapyard by resurrecting the museum idea. But, much like the whispered rumors of deleted Top Gun scenes in which Maverick starts a petition to bring Goose back to life, only to be informed human life doesn’t really work like that, the movement is being informed that it’s too late. “Though we would have preferred for the ship to be converted into a museum or memorial, during the eight years it was available, no group was able to pull together the necessary funding to make that happen,” says Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Chris Johnson.
The ship is scheduled to head to Texas within a month for dismantling. The Save The Ranger campaign is still asking for more time, but failing that, it’ll settle for some homoerotic beach volleyball.