Top Gun 3 is the much-anticipated second sequel to the beloved 80s film Top Gun. The 2022 follow up, called Top Gun: Maverick, was a massive box office smash. It earned over .5 billion globally, proving that Tom Cruise still has major appeal reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the bold navy pilot.
Now in his 60s, Tom Cruise is suiting back up to play Maverick in Top Gun 3. Details are still sparse, but production company Paramount Pictures has started early work on the project. They brought back Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote Maverick’s script, to pen the story. Joseph Kosinski, who directed Top Gun: Maverick, is also expected to return and helm Top Gun 3.
The goal seems to be reuniting Cruise with his co-stars from Maverick. That includes actors like Miles Teller, who played the role of Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. The plan is to draw out the aerial action nostalgia that made the first Top Gun so popular back in the 1980s.
With Cruise still willing to do crazy stunts, excitement for Top Gun 3 is high. If things stay on track, it could hit theaters sometime in 2025 or 2026. It aims to ride the wave of success of Maverick’s sequel
Paramount Starts Work on Top Gun 3
With Maverick doing so well, Paramount Pictures wasted no time getting started on Top Gun 3. They began early development work on the sequel while Maverick was still in theaters.
The studio brought back some key members from Maverick’s crew. Ehren Kruger, who helped write Maverick, is writing the script for the new movie. Also, director Joseph Kosinski is expected to return and direct Top Gun 3.
Paramount’s goal is to get Tom Cruise back as Maverick once again. They also want Maverick’s crew members from the last movie to return too. That includes top actors like Miles Teller, who played the pilot Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. Fans loved the chemistry between Cruise and Teller, so the hope is to reunite that team for the next Top Gun.
The idea is to recapture the nostalgic, high-flying action that made the first movie iconic. With his daring stunts, Cruise helps make that possible, even in his 60s! If all goes as planned, Top Gun 3 could be headed to theaters by 2025.
What We Know About the Top Gun 3 Plot
In the new movie, Tom Cruise’s Maverick character may take on more of a mentor role. In Top Gun: Maverick, he trained the younger pilot “Rooster” Bradley. Rooster could now take the lead on dangerous missions in the sequel, with Maverick advising him.
Rooster may assemble his own team of young, talented pilots looking to prove themselves, just like Maverick did in the original 1980s Top Gun. Maverick would coach them through death-defying aerial stunts and battles.
Specific plot details are still largely secret. The main enemy Maverick and team could encounter is unknown. That villain and central conflict will be the key to the dramatic action when the script is finished.
But Paramount mainly wants to recapture the teacher-student chemistry between Maverick and his charges. Their banter during high-stakes flight scenes is part of the fun formula from the last movie. Now Maverick may impart his wisdom from the cockpit to a new crew ready to walk in his jet streams under his guidance.
Production Timeline and Release Date Expectations
Don’t expect to see Top Gun 3 too soon. Leading man Tom Cruise keeps very busy. He is filming Mission: Impossible 8 first. That sequel goes all the way until May 2025.
But the wait for this new Top Gun shouldn’t be as long as last time. It took 36 years for the first sequel Maverick to come out after the original Top Gun. This time, Paramount Pictures wants to strike while momentum from Maverick’s success is hot.
The earliest we would likely get Top Gun 3 is 2025, after Mission: Impossible wraps. But 2026 seems most realistic. The studio needs time to film all the in-air jet action.
Until then, plot details should come into clearer view. Expect Paramount to hype Cruise defying death once more as the endearing Maverick. If all goes well, by 2026 fans could be back in theaters feeling the need for speed with Top Gun 3.
Fans Still Hungry for High-Flying Fun
Top Gun: Maverick’s huge box office success last year keeps paying off. It helped bring people back to movie theaters after the pandemic slump. Fans clearly still crave Tom Cruise defying age in fast-moving aerial stunts.
That’s why Paramount wants to stay in the Tom Cruise business. Even in his 60s, audiences love seeing him pull crazy stunts as the test pilot Maverick. The studio is eager to showcase him in the cockpit again.
And they hope the old formula still works – updated flashy plane action blended with nostalgia for the original Top Gun mood and characters. That winning mix helped Maverick become Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film ever.
Now they want to keep momentum going and send Maverick soaring back into danger zone by around 2025. With Cruise’s magnetism, the need for speed shows no signs of slowing down.
What’s In Store for Maverick’s Next Flight?
Many details about the Top Gun 3 story are still top secret. What new mission will Pete “Maverick” Mitchell lead? Who will the enemies be this time? Fans eagerly await answers.
But we know Tom Cruise will bring his trademark boldness to the role once again. That was enough to draw nostalgic old fans and thrill-seeking new fans to theaters for Top Gun: Maverick.
Though in his 60s, Cruise continues to wow audiences by doing many of his own stunts as the daring pilot Maverick. And Paramount hopes lightning strikes a third time with Top Gun 3.
Early progress points toward the long-awaited second sequel taking off by around 2025 or 2026. If Cruise stays healthy and committed to suiting up again, excitement will only grow. All systems appear go for Top Gun 3 to ride Maverick’s success into another blockbuster.
Read More: Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More
