Famous for his roles in action flicks with nail-biting plots and plenty of spectacular stunts, Tom Cruise has become a household name. Cruise has become an action movie superstar, mostly because of his roles in the Mission: Impossible films.
However, two of his most memorable films have always been part of the Top Gun franchise. The first film in the series was released in 1986 and follows Navy fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he undergoes a series of outrageous stunts (such as the tower flyover) and displays an irreverent attitude.
Fans started to speculate whether there would be a third remake of the film when the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, revived Cruise’s character and a few others, notably Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer. In case you “haven’t lost that lovin’ feeling,” we’ve compiled all the information we have about a potential Top Gun 3!
Top Gun 3 Renewal Status
There has been no official word regarding Top Gun 3 yet. The success of Top Gun 2 at the box office, however, makes a sequel quite likely. Paramount defended Top Gun 2’s $170 million budget by acknowledging that the series was a gold mine when they took it on.
Because fighter planes are so expensive, Paramount wanted to be sure they would get a return on their investment before beginning production. With Top Gun 2, the door is left open for a potential third installment, and the idea of establishing a profitable franchise with Top Gun 3 is being considered.
Top Gun 3 Release Date
Not only would Cruise be 89 years old (though he’d likely still be doing feats by then), but we also hope that another 36 years won’t pass. However, he may be too preoccupied with other projects at the moment to do another Top Gun film, as Bruckheimer said.
The sequel took around a year to shoot, so even with a quick confirmation, it’s doubtful we’d see it in 2023. We are estimating that the third installment may be released as early as the summer of 2024, although that could be stretching things too far.
Top Gun 3 Cast
There is no doubt that Tom Cruise will return as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, but Miles Teller’s portrayal of Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw may diminish his importance. Unfortunately, Val Kilmer will not be returning as Iceman since he was killed off (and not in a horrific aircraft crash).
But because Top Gun: Maverick used the original film’s footage sparingly (and tastefully, we’d think), it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kilmer or any of the other original Top Gun cast members make a cameo appearance in a flashback.
Whatever happens with the rest, now that Maverick and Penny are back together, Jennifer Connelly may easily reprise her role (particularly if the third picture follows Maverick as he adjusts to civilian life and becomes a stepfather).
Beyond them, we may also anticipate more appearances from the group of Top Gun elites from the sequel, which includes Glen Powell as Jake “Hangman” Seresin, Robert “Bob” Floyd played by Lewis Pullman, and Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, played by Monica Barbaro.
Top Gun: Maverick Ending
A team of highly skilled Top Gun alums has been tasked by Maverick with dismantling a clandestine uranium enrichment facility housed in a bunker beneath. As a result, he will meet his closest friend’s son, Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. After Maverick withdrew his Naval Academy papers, delaying Rooster’s enrollment by four years, the two became estranged.
Rooster, Payback, Fanboy, Bob, and Phoenix follow Maverick as the mission’s strike package leader. They manage to take down the plant, but a hostile fire quickly ensnares them.
To save Rooster, Maverick chooses to give up his F/A-18E. Rooster remains behind to attempt to locate Maverick, while everyone else is summoned back to the carrier when it seems like Maverick is dead. Rooster manages to rescue Maverick, but his aircraft is destroyed in the process.
After destroying an aviation base, Maverick and Rooster plot to steal an ancient F-14. They encounter Su-57s while attempting to return to the ship. Before their ammo runs out, they manage to down two Su-57s. The third Su-57 was about to destroy them when Hangman swooped in to save them. Their bond is helped by the missionaries, Maverick and Rooster. Rooster lends Maverick a hand with his P-51 Mustang as the film comes to a close. Penny, Maverick’s girlfriend, and the jet take off into the sunset.
Top Gun 3 Plot
Although Maverick’s conclusion didn’t tease a third film, the sequel didn’t need to succeed. No Top Gun 3 plot would be complete without a fresh mission for Maverick and the other pilots to complete; what matters most is how this mission shapes their characters’ arcs.
Nevertheless, Maverick did sow the seed for a possible new plot point when he revealed that Admiral Cain intended to utilize a drone fleet instead of human pilots. than demonstrate that humans are superior to machines, Top Gun 3 might have human pilots like Maverick taking on Cain’s drones.
Reuniting the cast of Top Gun would elevate this plot to a whole new level. Because the majority of the crew left after Top Gun 2, fighting the robots lays the stage for the ideal reunion plot in Top Gun 3.
In a wonderful homage to the first film, Top Gun 3, the original fighter pilot crew may reunite to show that humans can fly better than robots. The plot of Top Gun 3 likely includes the replacement of human pilots by drones, although how exactly this is implemented remains to be seen.
Top Gun 3 Trailer
Unfortunately, there is no footage of Top Gun 3 since the project has not yet begun production, let alone been confirmed.