The film primarily focuses on naval aviation and carrier-based operations, where the F-18 Super Hornet is the current aircraft of choice for the U.S. Navy. Including the F-22, which is primarily an air-to-air combat aircraft, may have disrupted the narrative and the authenticity of the film.

The decision not to feature the F-22 Raptor in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) was based on both narrative logic and practical filmmaking constraints. Firstly, the Top Gun franchise is centered on the U.S. Navy, while the F-22 is exclusively an Air Force aircraft; having a Navy instructor like Maverick pilot an Air Force jet would have been a significant technical inaccuracy that the military consultants likely wanted to avoid. Secondly, and more importantly for the production, the F-22 is a single-seat aircraft. The director, Joseph Kosinski, insisted on filming the actors inside the actual cockpits of jets while they were flying to capture authentic "G-force" reactions. This required the use of two-seater planes, like the F/A-18F Super Hornet, so a real pilot could fly the aircraft from the front seat while the actor sat in the back with a camera rig. Furthermore, the F-22’s technology remains highly classified, and the military is very protective of its interior details, making it difficult to set up the necessary camera equipment. Finally, the mission in the movie required "low-level" flying and laser-guided bombing capabilities that the F/A-18 is specifically designed for, whereas the F-22 is primarily an air-superiority stealth fighter.