Tom Cruise is officially heading back to the danger zone.
Variety reported that Top Gun 3 is in the works at Paramount, with Cruise set to return as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also coming back, giving the long-running franchise another shot at extending one of Paramount’s biggest modern theatrical success stories. The announcement came during the studio’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas.
The third film has been in motion for a while. Variety noted that the sequel was first revealed to be in development back in 2024, with Ehren Kruger attached after previously co-writing Top Gun: Maverick with Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie. Story details have not yet been revealed, but the return of Cruise and Bruckheimer makes clear that Paramount sees more runway ahead for the franchise.
That is not surprising given what Top Gun: Maverick accomplished. The 2022 sequel turned into a genuine box office phenomenon, grossing $1.5 billion worldwide on a reported $170 million budget, according to Variety. It also arrived at a time when theaters were still fighting their way back from the COVID era, making it one of the most important theatrical releases of that stretch.
Cruise first played Maverick in 1986’s Top Gun, a film that followed the talented but reckless Navy pilot as he entered the elite Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. There, he pushed boundaries in the air and on the ground, clashing with rivals, chasing glory, and struggling with the kind of swagger that made him unforgettable as an action hero. The movie helped define Cruise’s star persona and became one of the signature blockbusters of the decade.
More than three decades later, Top Gun: Maverick brought him back for a very different chapter. This time, Maverick returned not as the young hotshot but as the veteran flyer tasked with training a new generation of pilots for a dangerous mission. The sequel also tied his past directly into the present through Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late best friend Goose. That emotional thread helped give the film more weight than a standard legacy sequel, while still delivering the kind of aerial spectacle audiences expected.
The second film also introduced a fresh cast of pilots played by Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, Jay Ellis, Greg Tarzan Davis and Manny Jacinto, alongside Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Charles Parnell, Ed Harris and Bashir Salahuddin. It also marked the final film role of Val Kilmer, who reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky before his death in 2025.
Where to Watch the First Two ‘Top Gun’ Movies
If you want to catch up before Top Gun 3 arrives, the first two movies are already easy to stream.
The original Top Gun is available on Paramount+. The 1986 film follows Maverick as he trains at the Navy’s most elite fighter weapons school, where his confidence and talent make him stand out just as much as his recklessness.
Top Gun: Maverick is also streaming on Paramount+. The 2022 sequel centers on Maverick confronting his past while preparing a younger team of Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission. It is also available to watch on Fubo and DirecTV.
With Cruise officially returning and Paramount confirming the project is moving forward, Top Gun 3 is now one of the biggest movie sequels on the horizon.