Tom Cruise shocks fans with shaggy hairdo as he ditches clean-cut look at Top Gun: Maverick premiere in San Diego – after arriving via helicopter

Tom Cruise debuted a ‘mop’ haircut as he attended the Top Gun: Maverick world premiere at The USS Midway Museum on Wednesday in San Diego, California.

The actor, 59, looked worlds away from his clean-cut self as he arrived on the red carpet via helicopter, a French Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil.

Despite his shaggy barnet, he looked dapper in a black suit which he teamed up with matching leather shoes while accessorising with a pair of aviator sunglasses.

New look: Tom Cruise debuted a ‘mop’ haircut as he attended the Top Gun: Maverick world premiere at The USS Midway Museum on Wednesday in San Diego, California

Fans took to Twitter to share their surprise at his overhauled look, with one beginning: ‘What the hell is with that hair style?’

Others added: ‘ His hair was beat to hell when he got out of a helicopter. It didn’t stand a chance,’ and, ‘What’s up with the hair?’

Tom, who famously does his own stunts in his action-packed flicks, decided not to pilot the chopper on this occasion but still one-upped all of his incredibly glamorous co-stars as he touched down at the star-studded event.

Outfit: Despite his shaggy barnet, he looked dapper in a black suit which he teamed up with matching leather shoes while accessorising with a pair of aviator sunglasses

Movie star: The Hollywood icon flashed his sparkling white smile as he posed for gawking onlookers on the red carpet

Impressive: Tom proved he certainly knows how to make an entrance as he wowed onlookers with the spectacle

After disembarking the aircraft, he waved to a sea of his fans that recorded him stepping out of the chopper, which read: ‘Tom Cruise Top Gun: Maverick.’

Tom earned his pilot license 28 years ago and, over the years, has performed some dangerous stunts for some of his movies, including spinning a helicopter around while diving down over a waterfall.

He was unable to pilot the planes in the first Top Gun as he had not yet secured his license, but in the sequel he takes to the skies in a P-51 propeller-driven fighter plane, as well as a helicopter.

Opinions: Fans took to Twitter to share their surprise at his overhauled look, with one beginning: ‘What the hell is with that hair style?’

He was just 24 years old when Top Gun was first released in 1986.

And 36 years later, Tom didn’t look like he had aged a day as the sequel Top Gun: Maverick prepares for release after years of delays.

The 59-year-old movie star is reprising his role as LT Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and looked as comfortable as ever as he slipped back into his pilot uniform.