Top Gun 3 Aiming for 2026 Release as Production Gears Up for 2025
A new report suggests that Top Gun 3 is finally ready to take flight — and much sooner than fans expected. According to industry source World of Reel, the high-octane sequel is lining up a 2026 theatrical release, with Tom Cruise set to return to the cockpit as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Filming is reportedly scheduled to begin in 2025.
This marks a much shorter turnaround compared to the 36-year gap between the original Top Gun and 2022’s blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick. Director Joseph Kosinski, who steered Maverick to critical and commercial glory, is said to be returning for the third installment.
Returning Cast and Early Confirmations
Alongside Cruise, both Glen Powell and Miles Teller are expected to reprise their roles. Powell, who broke out as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin, recently revealed on the HappySadConfused podcast that he has already been given a tentative production date — a clear sign the sequel is moving forward.
While schedules can shift, the enthusiasm from everyone involved makes the 2025 shoot date highly likely.
Cruise and Kosinski Clear Their Schedules
Both Cruise and Kosinski have faced significant project delays in recent years — Cruise with Mission: Impossible 8 and Kosinski with his long-gestating Formula 1 film. With those delays reportedly easing, the pair appear set to devote next year to bringing Top Gun 3 to life.
This development is also reshaping Tom Cruise’s broader production slate.
Impact on Cruise’s Upcoming Projects
Earlier this year, Cruise signed a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Under that agreement, he committed to starring in a film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, slated to shoot in early 2025.
Cruise was also attached to The Gauntlet, a remake of the Clint Eastwood thriller, opposite Scarlett Johansson and directed by his longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie. But according to World of Reel, The Gauntlet is no longer moving forward — possibly due to scheduling conflicts caused by Top Gun 3 taking priority.
If accurate, Cruise’s next sequence of projects appears to be:
- The Iñárritu film (early 2025)
- Top Gun 3 (mid-to-late 2025)
- Future Warner Bros. and Paramount collaborations still in development
Can Top Gun Strike Gold Again?
Given the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick — which revived theatrical attendance and became one of the biggest box-office hits of the decade — expectations for a third film are sky-high.
Fans have been vocal about their excitement for another installment, praising the possibility of expanding Hangman’s and Rooster’s arcs while continuing Maverick’s legacy.
The safe assumption? Audiences will be lining up once again if the sequel delivers the same heart, spectacle, and aviation realism that defined Maverick.
If production moves ahead as planned, Top Gun 3 looks set to hit theaters in summer 2026, bringing Maverick back for one more adrenaline-fueled mission.
