Tom Cruise Set to Return for Top Gun 3 Top Gun 3 has officially been confirmed, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The announcement came during Paramount Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026, where Co-Chair Josh Greenstein revealed the sequel is in development with a script underway. Cruise will reunite with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for the third installment in the franchise. While the full cast has not been announced, returning stars from Top Gun: Maverick—including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, and Lewis Pullman—are expected to reprise their roles. Powell previously expressed interest in returning and hinted at knowing when filming might begin. The film will serve as a direct follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick, the 2022 blockbuster directed by Joseph Kosinski that grossed $1.5 billion worldwide and earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Maverick won the Oscar for Best Sound and became the fifth-highest-grossing film domestically of all time. Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote Maverick, confirmed in a 2025 interview that a story idea for Top Gun 3 is already in place, based on a pitch by Ehren Kruger, who cowrote the second film and remains attached as screenwriter. McQuarrie stated the concept is “already in the bag.” A director for Top Gun 3 has not yet been named. Kosinski, who directed Maverick after taking over from the late Tony Scott, has not been confirmed to return. Details such as the release date and final cast remain unannounced. However, the confirmation marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which began with the 1986 original starring Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Kelly McGillis.
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