Top Gun: Mavericks’ run at the box office is almost over, but not without the movie continuing its phenomenal success by landing in the Top 10 for a fourth full month. Having taken over $1.23 million worldwide, the sequel to Tom Cruise's 1986 hit surpassed all expectations this summer to soar to the top of the chart as the year’s highest grossing movie, a title it is almost certain to retain even when facing competition from the likes of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water in a couple of months.

Top Gun: Maverick brought back Tom Cruise as the titular character, as well as Val Kilmer as Iceman, and roster of new characters including Miles Teller’s Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw – the son of the original movie’s Goose. Other newcomers included Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Connelly, and audiences have been on board with the return of the high flying franchise from the start, leading to it breaking numerous box office records during its flawless theatrical run.

There were very few who could have predicted exactly how popular Top Gun: Maverick was going to be, especially when the film’s Covid delays meant it had been held back for almost two years from its original 2020 release date, which could have taken the wind out of Tom Cruises’ return to one of his earliest roles. Now the movie is the fifth-highest grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office and is now racking in more from its VOD release, which shot straight to #1 on Labor Day weekend at the same time the movie returned to the top of the box office on a lackluster release schedule.

Related: Top Gun: Maverick Director Reflects on Showing Val Kilmer His Completed Scene For the First Time

Top Gun 3 Is Possible, but Remains Unlikely

Top Cruise flies in Top Gun Maverick
Paramount Pictures

Obviously the success of Top Gun: Maverick has raised the question of whether there will be more to come from the franchise, and while there has been rumors of TV series and even Top Gun 3, it all seems to hinge on whether Tom Cruise wants to strap in for another flight. According to his co-star Miles’ Teller, Cruise has discussed a possible third movie, but seemingly only in passing. This is something that producer Jerry Bruckheimer also stated in a previous interview, saying:

"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!"

In the end, Tom Cruise is currently busy on his Mission: Impossible return, and now 60 years old, it is really a question of whether he wants to risk his life once again to perform some of the breath-taking stunts that he is known for. Of course, that doesn’t rule out some kind of spin-off series focussing on other “top guns” and that could be something that Paramount does want to pursue as they continue to bolster their Paramount+ content. For now though, fans are still lapping up everything that Top Gun: Maverick had to offer, and it is not often that a franchise that successful is allowed to just fade away.