Ryan Reynolds faces a dangerous crash landing in the opening of Mayday. The first three minutes show how the actor’s pilot ends up behind enemy lines.
Apple TV has released the opening scene of Mayday, starring Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. The clip introduces Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly before his top-secret Cold War mission takes a wrong turn.
Watch the first three minutes of Mayday below:
What do we see in the first three minutes of Mayday?
The video begins with Troy wearing his flight helmet and showing signs of injury. The scene then shifts to the Pacific, where Navy jets fly over the water as Van Halen’s “Jump” plays. A 1987 title card places the story during the Cold War. The character is introduced among other Navy pilots before he gets selected for a highly sensitive assignment.
The mission sends Troy deep into Soviet territory aboard an SR-71 Blackbird. His aircraft comes under attack, forcing him into a crash landing in the snowy wilderness. The sequence sets up the movie’s central problem without spending much time on background. The character survives the crash but finds himself stranded in hostile territory.
Troy’s situation eventually brings him into contact with Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh. Nikolai is a former KGB agent who has a strong interest in American culture.
Mayday blends Cold War action with buddy-comedy elements. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein directed, wrote, and produced the movie for Apple Original Films. The cast also includes Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, and David Morse. It is now streaming on Apple TV after its September 4, 2026 release.