Reports Indicate 'Top Gun 3' in Development Following Maverick's Box Office Triumph
Get ready for more high-flying action! The highly anticipated sequel to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is in the works, bringing back the thrilling world of Top Gun after two years of its success
Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick. Paramount Pictures/Paramount+
Tom Cruise may be reprising his role in a third Top Gun movie, with reports that Paramount has enlisted cowriter Ehren Kruger to develop the script. The studio is also aiming for the return of Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, as well as actors Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
Cruise, 61, has recently signed a significant development deal with Warner Bros. However, his new contract is not exclusive, allowing him to collaborate with other studios, potentially making a return as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Top Gun: Maverick was released in theaters in May 2022, more than 35 years after the original Top Gun premiered in 1986. Maverick ended up as the second-highest-grossing film of 2022 and the highest-grossing film of Cruise's career. It received six nominations and won the award for Best Sound.
In March 2023, an insider exclusively told We that Cruise was “over the moon” about the film’s success.
Miles Teller stars as Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in Top Gun: Maverick. According to an insider, Tom Cruise's approach to filmmaking now focuses on creating a complete package that is both successful financially and artistically, rather than aiming for a standout scene for awards consideration. The source notes that Cruise has shifted his priorities from emotional scenes to becoming a successful businessman and producer.
Cruise has not yet confirmed his involvement in a third Top Gun movie, but his younger costars are eager for a sequel. "My whole cast would be there in a heartbeat," said Jay Ellis, who portrayed Reuben "Payback" Fitch. "We would be grateful to be a part of it."
Teller, who played Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, has mentioned that Cruise, whom he calls "TC," holds the power to make the decision about the sequel.
Teller, 36, told Entertainment Tonight in July 2022, "That would be fantastic, but it's ultimately up to TC. It's all in Tom's hands. I've had some discussions with him about it. We'll have to wait and see."
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Glen Powell portrays “Hangman” in Top Gun: Maverick. Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures/Parammount+
In the film, Teller’s character, Rooster, is the son of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, previously played by Anthony Edwards in the original Top Gun. Goose, who was Maverick’s wingman, tragically died during a training exercise. Rooster’s character in Top Gun: Maverick deals with the aftermath of his father's death and struggles to get along with Maverick, whom he holds responsible for his father's fate.
Goose only makes appearances in flashbacks in the movie Maverick for obvious reasons. However, Edwards, 61, still thoroughly enjoyed watching the film. "It's the biggest movie that I'm in without actually having to show up for work, so it was fun," he quipped to Entertainment Tonight in June 2022.
