5 Minutes
Good news from the Top Gun front
A new wave of optimism has arrived for Top Gun 3. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently told Entertainment Tonight that the screenplay is moving along and could be completed soon — putting the project slightly ahead of other big franchises he's juggling. That cautious confidence follows the extraordinary success of Top Gun: Maverick, which earned critical praise, an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and roughly $1.5 billion at the global box office. Expectations are high for a sequel that aims to match the scale and emotional stakes of its predecessor.
Christopher McQuarrie and Ehren Kruger have returned to co-write the screenplay, and director Joseph Kosinski has hinted the story will push Pete “Maverick” Mitchell into an existential crucible — possibly setting up a final, definitive chapter for Tom Cruise’s iconic pilot. Kosinski described the arc as a real, far-reaching crisis for Maverick that makes the character feel small against the larger thematic canvas the filmmakers want to explore.
Who's likely to fly again?
Tom Cruise is expected to reprise Maverick, with Miles Teller (Rooster) and Glen Powell (Hangman) likely to return. Other cast members remain unconfirmed. Bruckheimer also mentioned the production is being weighed alongside Pirates of the Caribbean 6, but said Top Gun is currently a hair ahead in development — though he emphasized the gap is small.
Context matters: Maverick wasn’t just a summer blockbuster; it became a cultural touchstone for practical stunt filmmaking and a rare modern blockbuster to win both fan devotion and critical respect. That sets a high bar for the sequel: fans want visceral aerial action, emotional payoff, and a story that justifies revisiting familiar characters.
Beyond the headlines, there are industry reasons for the measured pacing. Big-budget sequels now face intense scrutiny over franchise fatigue, visual spectacle versus story depth, and release slates that must align with talent availability, VFX schedules, and international markets. Bruckheimer’s insistence that they’ll only move forward if the story is "powerful enough" reflects that changed calculus.
Trivia and behind-the-scenes notes: Christopher McQuarrie’s collaboration with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible installments is widely credited with shaping Cruise’s modern action persona — the same trust could give Top Gun 3 the combination of practical stuntcraft and character-driven stakes that made Maverick sing. Meanwhile, Ehren Kruger has a track record on high-concept action scripts, which suggests the new screenplay will try to blend intimate character drama with large-scale aerial sequences.
Critical perspective: There’s a creative tightrope here. Delivering an emotionally satisfying "final flight" for Maverick without slipping into nostalgia-only storytelling is key. If the script leans too hard on spectacle, it risks undoing the emotional resonance that made Maverick memorable; if it leans too far into introspection, it might disappoint audiences expecting action.
Film critic Anna Kovacs offers a measured take: "Top Gun 3 has the rare chance to close out a character arc for one of modern cinema's most enduring heroes. If the filmmakers balance scale with heart, it can be a worthy capstone — but the stakes are narrative as much as they are aerial."
A realistic timeline: Bruckheimer and Kosinski have both signaled patience; current estimates suggest Top Gun 3 is unlikely to arrive before 2028. That gives the creative team time to finish the screenplay, assemble cast and crew, and stage the ambitious aerial sequences fans expect.
Whether this will be Maverick's last flight or a new beginning for the franchise, the industry and audience will be watching closely. For now, the takeaway is optimistic but cautious: the script is progressing, big ideas are in play, and the filmmakers are taking the time to get it right.
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