That's notable because this demographic has been somewhat reluctant to return to theaters since the onset of the pandemic.

It's also only the second movie of the pandemic era to make $1 billion at the global box office, joining December's "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

"For any film to join the $1 billion club is a monumental achievement," Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscor, (SCOR) told CNN Business.

"But 'Top Gun: Maverick' hitting $1 billion during the pandemic is a bit different."

"It was the perfect movie at the perfect time because it starred one of Hollywood's last movie stars, in a movie that delivered on all fronts to all audiences around the world," he added.

Critics have also piled on praise.

The movie, in which Maverick returns to teach a new set of pilots how to take on an impossible mission, has a near-perfect 97% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes.