--- title: "‘Top Gun 3’ is happening after all" description: "Tom Cruise feels the need for speed once again. He's working on a sequel to 'Top Gun: Maverick,' although it might take some time." date: "2024-01-13" modified: "2024-01-13" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/top-gun-3-maverick-tom-cruise/" categories: - "Culture" - "Entertainment" --- # ‘Top Gun 3’ is happening after all ![]() *('Top Gun: Maverick'/IMDB)* You can’t keep a good aviator down. Especially if said aviator is played by Tom Cruise and the most recent film grossed more than $1.4 billion internationally. Yes, a third [*Top Gun*]() film is in development. Early, early development that is. Superstar actor, producer and Pete “Maverick” Mitchell himself Tom Cruise [recently signed]() a non-exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to act in and produce several of the studio’s movies. For the most part Cruise has been busy making his blockbusters like *Top Gun: Maverick* and the *Mission Impossible* series at Paramount. But amid the news of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal, it’s been confirmed that Paramount is working on a third Top Gun film, and has been since the fall. And even though *Top Gun: Maverick* literally ended with Maverick flying into the sunset with his love interest, he’ll be back for one more mission. According to the Hollywood trades, *Maverick* co-writer Ehren Kruger is working on a script that would see Cruise joined by [Miles Teller]() and Glenn Powell as Rooster and Hangman once again, while the intent is to get *Maverick* director Joseph Kosinski to return. Given the early stages of this, no one is signed on as of yet. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** If *Top Gun 3* does happen, there is the question of what it would even cover. In his return to the big screen, Maverick took on the issue of pilots being replaced by drones, flew an experimental Darkstar plane to record speeds and helped lead a successful mission against the unspecified “enemy,” all while reconciling with Rooster and having an emotional farewell with Iceman. What is there to do next? Does the preemptive strike on the enemy lead to an all-out war where dogfights are a regular occurrence? And in a real-world matter, given the U.S. Navy’s involvement in the previous two films, how many Navy jets and aircraft carriers will be involved in making the next *Top Gun*? If those questions are to be answered, the next question is when. Early development does not mean shooting. Even though the original *Top Gun* was a massive success, it took 24 years before development of the sequel even began (back in 1990 Cruise even dismissed the idea of doing a sequel). That was pushed back by the suicide of original *Top Gun* director Tony Scott and script development before eventual *Maverick* director Kosinski got the job. And even when principal photography was wrapped the film still was pushed back, both because of massive disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and Cruise’s insistence on improving certain elements to get it right. Even if Cruise and his team can get a script ready for shooting quickly, and if the Navy can spare the resources — several ships are [currently occupied]() in the Mediterranean and Red seas — it likely won’t start filming in the next few months. Cruise is still shooting *Mission Impossible 8*, which [also features a Navy aircraft carrier]() in it, and is set to film a movie with director Doug Liman afterward, which will allegedly see the actor actually go to space. Considering how good *Top Gun: Maverick* turned out to be, it was worth the wait. Perhaps *Top Gun 3* will be worth waiting some more. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **What is the oldest military equipment** [**still in use today**]()**?** - **Arkansas Air Guard** [**wing commander resigns**]() **over abortion policy, Governor says** - [**Marine Security Guard**]() **dies in Republic of the Congo** - **How the military celebrates the New Year, according to** [**combat veterans**]() - **The history of Thompson** [**“Tommy” guns**]() **at war** ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()