Global action star Tom Cruise is currently on a worldwide promotional tour for The Mummy, which hits theaters June 9. During a stop at an Australian TV morning show, the actor confirmed that Top Gun 2 is finally happening. The last we heard about this sequel was way back in January 2016, when producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared a photo of him and Tom Cruise on social media, teasing that he was discussing Top Gun 2 with Tom Cruise, but there haven't been any concrete updates since then. When asked about the possibility of Top Gun 2 happening, Tom Cruise had this to say.

"Yes, it's true. You know what, I'm going to start filming it, probably next year. I know, it's happening. It is definitely happening. You're the first people that I've said this to. You've asked me, and I'm telling you this is going to happen."

The global action star made this revelation during an appearance on the Australian morning show Sunrise On 7, who were apparently the first to ask the actor about this long-gestating project. The actor wouldn't elaborate on anything else about the sequel, including the rumors from 2015 that Val Kilmer will be back as Iceman. There is no director attached at this time, with Justin Marks (The Jungle Book) coming aboard to rewrite the script back in September 2014, although it isn't clear if any other writers have worked on the script since then.

This Top Gun sequel has been in various stages of development since 2011, with Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class) coming aboard to write the script, with Peter Craig (The Town) coming aboard for a rewrite in 2012. Tom Cruise hinted in June 2012 that they were still working on the project, but just a few months later in August, original Top Gun director Tony Scott, who was slated to return for the sequel, took his own life by jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro port district of Los Angeles, California. The sequel was indefinitely halted in the aftermath of the director's death, but it came back to life a few years later.

We reported in December 2013 that producer Jerry Bruckheimer had a new deal at Paramount, which he was using to get both Top Gun 2 and the long-gestating Beverly Hills Cop 4 off the ground, neither of which have started production. The producer also teased that he wants to highlight traditional fighter pilots like Tom Cruise's Maverick in the sequel, along with this new generation of drone pilots, who late director Tony Scott had talked about showcasing in this sequel a few years before his untimely death.

Tom Cruise himself also made an interesting statement in 2015, claiming that he wants to use real jets in the sequel, which would mean he would have to get the Department of Defense on board to let the actor and the rest of the cast members actually fly their real jets. It isn't known if the actor is still pushing for this approach, but given his affinity for doing all of his own death-defying stunts, it wouldn't be surprising. Take a look at Tom Cruise's interview with the Australian morning show Sunrise On 7, where he confirms that Top Gun 2 is happening.