The sequel to director Joseph Kosinski’s 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” was first revealed to be in the works back in 2024 with scribe Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote “Maverick” with Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.

“Top Gun: Maverick” became a blockbuster hit when many theaters were still shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic. It grossed $1.5 billion at the global box office from a $170 million budget, giving movie theaters the jolt they needed when times were tough.

Cruise returned for “Maverick” 36 years after he debuted his hotshot pilot in the 1986 original. His Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell went back to the famous flight school to teach a new batch of pilots how to successfully run a dangerous mission. He also crossed paths with Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his best friend Pete “Goose” Bradshaw who died in the first movie. Together, they’re able to complete the mission with their fellow trainees and return home in one piece.

Alongside Cruise and Teller, the “Maverick” cast had several up-and-coming stars. Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, Jay Ellis, Greg Tarzan Davis and Manny Jacinto all played new pilots. Their fellow cast members included Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Charles Parnell, Ed Harris and Bashir Salahuddin. It also marked the final film role for Cruise’s original “Top Gun” co-star Val Kilmer, who played Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Kilmer later died in 2025.