Why Top Gun 3 Won't Work as Well as Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick's Impact and Success

2022's Top Gun: Maverick is one of the biggest cinema success stories in recent years, revitalizing the franchise and saving movie theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was a massive critical and commercial success, almost single-handedly revitalizing the movie theater industry.

Tom Cruise as Pete Mitchell riding a motorcycle in Top Gun: Maverick

The reaction to the legacy sequel was incredibly overhyped by its box office recovery, uplifting Top Gun: Maverick even more than it would have otherwise.

Tom Cruise flying a jet in Top Gun Maverick

One of the big struggles that Top Gun 3 would have to face is continuing Maverick's story, as Top Gun: Maverick ended it perfectly.

Tom Cruise's tearful Maverick salutes while in uniform in Top Gun Maverick

Challenges of Continuing the Story

Top Gun: Maverick worked so well because so much time had passed since the original film, making the legacy sequel feel unique.

Iceman with Maverick in Top Gun Maverick

It would be hard for Top Gun 3 to avoid copying old Top Gun storylines and finding a new emotional beat as powerful as Rooster's Goose story.

Miles Teller as Rooster sitting at a piano in Top Gun: Maverick.

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible failure proves that Top Gun 3 isn't guaranteed box office gold, risking continuing a trend of box office disappointments.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning

Challenges with New Characters and Nostalgia

Top Gun: Maverick's new characters have all had their arcs completed, making it difficult to bring them back for another story in Top Gun 3.

Miles Teller as Rooster and Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun 2

Top Gun 3 can't rely on nostalgia anymore, meaning it has a much greater uphill battle than its predecessor did.

Custom image of Jon Hamm's Cyclone beside mavericks test run in Top Gun Maverick

The technical achievements of Top Gun: Maverick won't be as impressive the second time around, making it difficult for Top Gun 3 to match the same scale.

Custom image of Jon Hamm's Cyclone beside a beach football game in Top Gun 2