Glen Powell: Cruise Will Only Make Top Gun 3 If It Beats Maverick
Glen Powell says Tom Cruise won't move forward with Top Gun 3 unless he believes it can surpass Top Gun: Maverick.
Glen Powell said Tom Cruise will not make Top Gun 3 unless he believes the film can be better than Top Gun: Maverick, according to an Esquire profile published on October 7.
Powell said he knows only "general brushstrokes" of a story for the sequel and has not read anything, per the profile. His comments leave the project's status resting on Cruise's own benchmark for the follow-up.
Top Gun 3 was confirmed to be in development in January 2024. In February 2026, director Joseph Kosinski said there was still more story to tell and that Ehren Kruger is writing the script.
Cruise briefly discussed the film while promoting Digger on The Jennifer Hudson Show, saying Maverick would be in it along with fighter jets and cool music.
Top Gun: Maverick earned more than $1.4 billion on an estimated $177 million budget. There were 36 years between the releases of Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.
Quick answers
Is Top Gun 3 happening?
The film was confirmed to be in development in January 2024, and Glen Powell said he knows only general brushstrokes of a story and has not read anything.
Why hasn't Top Gun 3 been made yet?
According to Glen Powell, Tom Cruise will not make the film unless he believes it can be better than Top Gun: Maverick.
Who is writing Top Gun 3?
Director Joseph Kosinski said in February 2026 that Ehren Kruger is writing the script.