While a Top Gun: Maverick sequel does not appear close to being made, one of the last movie's stars explained why this is the case.
Top Gun: Maverick not only broke records financially in 2022 but became a cultural phenomenon along the way. The sequel (which came 36 years after its predecessor) earned almost universally rave reviews and grossed nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office.
After Maverick became 2022's biggest blockbuster, Top Gun 3 was officially marked for development in January 2024, setting the stage for another epic aerial adventure. However, since then, updates have been few and far between.
Top Gun Maverick Star on Sequel Release Delay
Speaking with US Weekly, Top Gun: Maverick star Jay Ellis shared insight into what is taking Top Gun 3 so long to develop.
Starting with a joke that the third Top Gun film would focus on his character, Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch, he then got serious with his answer. Currently, the team is "still working on the script" and making sure they "get it right:"
"So here’s what the story's going to be. It’s going to be Payback. No, no [I'm kidding]. In all honesty, they're still working on the script. They're still working on the story. They're wanting to get it right."
He further noted how leading man Tom Cruise is a "stickler" who wants "to make sure the audience gets what they paid for" with each of his movies. Cruise and his team are ensuring this is the case with Top Gun 3 so that fans "can fully disappear in [the] theater:"
"You know, Tom is a stickler, and that really comes from him wanting to make sure the audience gets what they paid for and that they're entertained. [So] that for those two hours, they can fully disappear in this theater, and the world around them doesn't exist anymore, and [be] fully entertained. That's where the focus is."
For the plot specifically, Ellis dove deeper, noting that the story can not be completed "just to make a movie" and not give fans something meaningful:
"[It’s also about] really making sure that this story is not done just to make a movie, but made because these characters are going to make people lean in."
Cruise's next movie set for release is the eighth in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (see everything we know about Mission Impossible 8 here).
When Will Top Gun 3 Release?
While predicting a release date for Top Gun 3 is a challenge, it's a near guarantee that it will not take another 36 years to debut the way Top Gun: Maverick did after the original film. Were that the case, fans would be waiting until 2058, when Tom Cruise would be in his mid-90s.
Currently, Cruise is prepping for the release of Mission Impossible 8, which faced its own share of delays before being nailed down for a May 23 release. He is also reportedly leading the cast of an untitled film from writer/producer Alejandro González Iñárritu, which is due to hit the big screen in October 2026.
As for Top Gun 3, Cruise is reportedly set to have Maverick co-stars Miles Teller (Rooster) and Glen Powell (Hangman) back in the air alongside him. Both of those stars, along with Jay Ellis, have busy schedules of their own, meaning it could be some time until they return to the world-famous California Naval base.
Also important to watch out for is director Joseph Kosinski, who led the way on production for Top Gun: Maverick and is in question to do the same for Top Gun 3. After his work with Jerry Bruckheimer and Brad Pitt on F1 (debuting on June 27), Kosinski may be directing an untitled UFO film, which Deadline reported is inspired by All the President's Men.
All things considered, with Cruise being the driving force behind this movie, Top Gun 3 might be the next big thing he wants to look into making after his current assignments. With that in mind, 2027 or 2028 might be years to look for in terms of its release, although fans will be eager to find out more details soon.
Top Gun: Maverick can now be streamed on Paramount+ and purchased wherever movies are available.
