Tom Cruise Is Officially Strapped in for Top Gun 3: Everything to Know

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It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot.

The Top Gun movies have both been successful, and Tom Cruise remains the central figure – the hero who drives the story – and is set to return for another adventure.

As a huge Top Gun fan, I was thrilled to hear the official news at CinemaCon – they’re already working on a third movie! And the best part? Tom Cruise is coming back as Maverick! Jerry Bruckheimer, the original producer, is also returning, which is fantastic news. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Ehren Kruger, who helped write Top Gun: Maverick, was already confirmed to be working on the next film, planned for release in 2024.

Okay, so it had been thirty-six years since the original Top Gun with Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards, but honestly? When Maverick came out with Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, and Lewis Pullman, it was just as amazing! I was completely hooked, just like the first time. They really brought the same magic!

Of all the movies Tom has directed, the recent sequel has been his most financially successful, earning over $1.4 billion worldwide when it came out in 2022.

While details like the release date and cast are still uncertain, one person has consistently believed the third movie will deliver: Glen Powell, who played the rival-turned-ally in Maverick.

In a 2024 interview with TopMob News, he admitted the people working on the third movie are more creative than he is. However, he did say he’s confident it will involve exciting and impressive action sequences. “All I know is we’re going to be flying cool stuff,” he stated.

In March, director Joe Kosinski shared with ScreenRant that he had a great idea for a story, and Tom Cruise was enthusiastic about it, leading them to start developing the project.

Jerry acknowledged that Tom’s packed schedule could make filming difficult, but there was always confidence that Tom would be part of the movie.

For the 37-year-old actor, who has often spoken about how much he admires Tom and how close they’ve become, appearing in the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick was a dream come true.

He shared that the best part of making this movie was seeing people enjoy it and wanting more. It’s especially rewarding to work with a team you genuinely connect with, and the possibility of collaborating with them again is fantastic.

In 2024, after a third Top Gun movie was announced, Jerry, as the producer, offered fans any details he was able to share.

I remember reading that Joe Kosinski had a fantastic idea for a new project, and Tom Cruise was immediately on board! Apparently, Tom really liked the concept, so they started working on developing it together. It was exciting to hear they were teaming up again!

Jerry acknowledged that Tom’s packed schedule could make filming difficult, but there was always confidence that Tom would be part of the movie.

As he put it, “It will be Tom Cruise. Tom is amazing.”

In the meantime, keep reading to see where the original Top Gun stars’ careers took them. 

Even though Maverick is the most experienced member of the team, he appears remarkably fit, just as Tom Cruise did when he first became the Navy’s top pilot.

He’s since been nominated for an Oscar three times for his roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, and he won Golden Globe awards for each of those films – awards he later returned as a matter of principle. He’s also starred in eight Mission: Impossible movies, numerous other films, and has become a celebrated and iconic movie star.

Tom Cruise, who has three children – Connor, Isabella, and Suri – has also gone through three divorces: from Mimi Rogers in 1990, Nicole Kidman in 2000, and Katie Holmes in 2012.

Charlie Blackwood, the astrophysicist and flight instructor who captivated Maverick in the original Top Gun, wasn’t included in the 2022 sequel, and almost didn’t appear in the first movie either. Actress Kelly McGillis played the role.

She explained to The Guardian in 2001 that she was reluctant to take the role. However, after making Witness, she had a contractual obligation to Paramount for another film, and her agent insisted she fulfill it. She immediately disliked the script, describing it as a ‘Western in the sky’ and feeling it required her to play a caricature rather than a real character. She felt she could have performed the role without even trying, but acknowledged that it ultimately opened doors for her that wouldn’t have otherwise been available.

She’s also remembered for her roles in films like The Accused, The Babe, and North, among others. However, she later stepped away from acting and, with her second husband, yacht businessman Fred Tillman, opened a restaurant in Florida.

She has two daughters with her ex-husband, Tillman, whom she divorced in 2002. In 2010, she had a civil union with Melanie Leis, but they separated in 2011.

In 2019, actress Kelly McGillis explained to Entertainment Tonight that her life priorities had simply shifted. It wasn’t a deliberate choice to step away from acting, but rather that other aspects of her life, particularly her relationships, became more meaningful to her than pursuing fame. She still loves acting and performing, but found personal connections to be more important.

Val Kilmer was incredibly cool as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, initially Maverick’s rival but later a heroic ally. He made a heartwarming appearance in the sequel as a four-star general, shown to have supported Maverick for three decades.

Following the original Top Gun, Val Kilmer enjoyed a highly successful acting career throughout the 1990s. He starred in a string of popular films including Willow, The Doors, True Romance, Tombstone, Batman Forever, Heat, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Ghost and the Darkness, The Saint, and The Prince of Egypt – where he famously voiced both Moses and God.

By the late 2010s, people began to worry about Val Kilmer’s health as he became increasingly private. In April 2020, he revealed that he had battled and overcome throat cancer.

He explained online that his raspy voice wasn’t due to a sore throat, but rather a result of regaining his speech after cancer treatment. This was ahead of his first TV interview in a decade on Good Morning America. He emphasized that despite the challenges, he hasn’t let anything diminish his creativity and voice as an artist.

Val Kilmer has two children, a daughter named Mercedes and a son named Jack, with his former wife, Joanne Whalley. He recently gave a personal look into his life with the highly praised 2021 documentary, Val.

Increasingly frail in his final years, Kilmer died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65.

Before becoming known as Dr. Mark Greene on ER, Anthony Edwards was famous for playing Officer Nick “Goose” Bradshaw in Top Gun for about eight years. During his time on ER, which ended with a very emotional departure, he won a Golden Globe and received four Emmy nominations.

He won an Emmy in 2010 as an executive producer of that year’s Best TV Movie, Temple Grandin.

Over the years, Edwards has appeared in a variety of films and television shows, including The Client, Northfork, Zodiac, Billions on Showtime, Law & Order: True Crime, and Designated Survivor. He can currently be seen streaming in the true-scandal-inspired dramas WeCrashed and Inventing Anna.

He has four children with his former wife, Jeanine Lobell, who founded the cosmetics company Stila. They were married from 1994 to 2015. In 2021, he married Emmy-winning actress Mare Winningham, who also has four children.

In a 2022 interview with Esquire, Edwards explained that when people recognize him, it’s usually just a quick hello. He attributes this to the fact that his most famous roles in shows like Top Gun and ER were quite some time ago. He often hears people say something like, ‘My parents used to watch you!’

Following her memorable role as Carole in Top Gun, Meg Ryan’s career began to flourish. She delivered strong performances in Innerspace and D.O.A. – both alongside her future husband, Dennis Quaid, whom she married in 1991 – before landing a starring role in When Harry Met Sally…, which quickly earned her the title of “America’s Sweetheart.”

Meg Ryan shared a delightful on-screen connection with Tom Hanks in beloved romantic comedies like Joe vs. the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail. She also showed off her charm in films like French Kiss, I.Q. (starring Tim Robbins of Top Gun), and Kate and Leopold. Beyond romantic roles, Ryan portrayed Pamela Courson, Jim Morrison’s partner, in The Doors (opposite Val Kilmer), played an alcoholic wife and mother in When a Man Loves a Woman, and took on dramatic roles as an Army captain in Courage Under Fire and a wife desperately trying to save her husband with the aid of rescuer Russell Crowe in Proof of Life.

Most recently she directed herself and David Duchovny in the romance What Happens Later.

Looking back on her success in the 1990s, Ryan described it as an amazing experience – a real leap forward that was a lot of fun. However, she also pointed out that it was just one chapter in a life full of possibilities and interests, among billions of things someone could enjoy.

Ryan and Quaid separated in 2001. Their son, Jack Quaid, became an actor, just like his parents. Ryan later adopted a daughter named Daisy in 2004.

Tim Robbins began his acting career with appearances on television shows like St. Elsewhere, The Love Boat, and Hill Street Blues. He then transitioned to film, starring in the action movie Toy Soldiers and the comedy The Sure Thing with John Cusack, before ultimately being cast as Lt. Sam “Merlin” Wells.

He appeared in Howard the Duck, but his career really gained momentum after playing an enthusiastic minor league baseball player in Bull Durham. In that film, his character competed with Kevin Costner for the affection of Susan Sarandon.

He found love with Susan Sarandon, and they were together for 21 years, raising their two sons, Jack and Miles, before separating peacefully in 2009. He also directed Sarandon in her Oscar-winning performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking, and directed the films Bob Roberts and Cradle Will Rock as well.

Tim Robbins continues to be involved in politics and is also a successful actor and director. He founded the Actors’ Gang Theater Group and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2004 for his role in Mystic River. He’s also known for his performances in films like Jacob’s Ladder, The Player, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Shawshank Redemption, and Arlington Road, as well as the TV series The Brink (HBO), Castle Rock (Hulu), Dark Waters, and Silo (Apple TV+).

Adrian Pasdar began his acting career with a small role as Lt. Charles “Chipper” Piper. He later became well-known for starring in shows like Heroes, Colony, Political Animals, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Beyond his on-screen work, Pasdar also provided the voice of Tony Stark/Iron Man in various animated Marvel series, including Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Ultimate Spider-Man, and Avengers Assemble.

In the flesh he’s also been on the small screen in Lethal Weapon, Grand Hotel and Supergirl.

Adrian Pasdar has two sons with his former wife, Natalie Maines. They married in 2000 and divorced in 2019, finalizing the settlement after she filed in 2017. Natalie Maines is the singer from the band The Chicks.

Just hearing the name Michael Ironside sounds intimidating, and that definitely matched the actor’s portrayal of Lt. Cmdr Rick “Jester” Heatherly. He played Maverick’s flight instructor with a piercing, steely look.

As someone who keeps a close eye on faces in film and TV, let me tell you, Michael Ironside is everywhere! You might recognize him from classics like Top Gun, but he’s consistently delivered memorable performances for decades. I’ve spotted him in so many things – Total Recall, Starship Troopers, even The Next Karate Kid! And it doesn’t stop there. He’s been a fantastic presence on television too, popping up in shows like Walker, Texas Ranger, ER, Castle, Smallville, and more recently, The Dropout and Barry. Honestly, the man has an incredible range and a seriously impressive filmography – you’ve definitely seen his work, even if you didn’t realize it!

He married Karen Dinwiddie in 1986, and they have one child together. He also has a child from a previous relationship.

You might recognize Tom Skerritt as Julia Roberts’ father in Steel Magnolias or Sara Gilbert’s dad in Poison Ivy – he often played father figures, especially in movies with outdoor settings. But before those roles, he was best known as Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun. Viper was the calm, experienced pilot who helped a grief-stricken Maverick regain his confidence after the loss of his friend, Goose.

Born in 1933, Richard Skerritt began acting in the 1960s and became known for memorable roles in films like MASH and Alien. His role as Viper is just another addition to a long list of iconic characters. Throughout his career, Skerritt often portrayed figures of authority – law enforcement, military personnel, and politicians. This included small appearances like the mayor of Seattle in Singles, a recurring role as Sheriff Brock on Picket Fences (earning him an Emmy in 1993), his part as Senator Carrick on The West Wing, a storyline as a CIA agent on The Grid, and a cameo as a scientist in Contact.

He was a familiar face on television, with a recurring role as the late father on Brothers & Sisters, and appearances in The Good Wife and Madam Secretary. More recently, he starred in the film adaptation of David Guterson’s East of the Mountains, playing a retired heart surgeon returning home with a serious illness, and as the head of a family known for their quick draw in the western Catch the Bullet.

Skerritt had three children with his first wife, one son from his second marriage, and a daughter with his current wife, Julie Tokashiki, whom he married in 1998.

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2026-04-16 22:18