The continued success of Top Gun: Maverick at the box office has raised the question of further movies in the franchise being considered. While the phenomenal success of the belated sequel to the 1986 movie has certainly reignited interest in the Tom Cruise-led film, would the nostalgia that helped the sequel become a success continue to carry over into a third movie. For producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the possibility of Top Gun 3 all depends on it happening if it happens.

When Top Gun: Maverick finally hit cinemas this year after a lengthy Covid delay, no one expected to see the movie not only top the box office for weeks and become the highest-grossing movie of the year, but also soar up the list of highest grossing movies ever to land in 12th place globally and sixth place, above the mighty Avengers: Infinity War, on the domestic list. Of course, that kind of success always comes with the burden of expectation that a sequel will immediately follow, but that may not be the case with the Top Gun franchise.

Although there have been plenty of rumors about sequels, spin-offs and even a TV series, Jerry Bruckheimer is keeping his card close to his chest when it comes to discussing follow-ups to this year’s biggest movie. In a recent interview with Radio Times, the producer said:

"I can't tell you what the future is going to bring. If you'd asked me in '86, 'Do you think you'll have a sequel out in a few years?' I'd have said maybe. But it took 30-something years to do it!"

Top Gun: Maverick Surpassed All Expectations This Summer

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Paramount Pictures

While this year was expected to be a big year for Marvel Studios at the box office, with sequels Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder thought to be the most likely contenders to be the highest-grossing movies of the year along with the likes of Jurassic World: Dominion, no one really saw Top Gun: Maverick having a real chance to top the year’s box office.

Top Gun was a hit in 1986, but did not massively outshine any other movie releases of the decade in terms of either reviews or box office takings. For that reason, it was thought that Top Gun: Maverick would join other legacy sequels that brought a nostalgic hit for many older fans and did enough to warrant the movie being made. Instead, the film has taken over $1.4 billion and is now looking to be a success all over again on digital home release, as well as Blu-ray and DVD releases still to come.

For Tom Cruise, the film has become his biggest ever movie hit, something that also can be said for Paramount Pictures, but the actor is not resting on his laurels and will soon be seen in the two-part Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, which may or may not be his final M:I movies, and he has plenty of other films in the pipeline. For this reason alone, another Top Gun sequel could happen at some point, but probably not with Cruise's involvement, and that would possibly be a big mistake.