Tom Cruise has a lot on his plate in the coming years, from continuing the adventures of Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series to dealing with more time-loop insanity in Edge of Tomorrow 2, a.k.a. Live Die Repeat and Repeat. Now he's also gearing up to don the aviators again and reprise Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun 2, more than three decades after the first movie came out. After being stuck in development hell for years, Cruise confirmed last week that the sequel is officially happening, and now he has revealed what the sequel will be called: Top Gun: Maverick.
The actor was adamant on not giving the Top Gun sequel the typical "number" title, instead opting for the subtitle approach. Considering that most movie fans know Tom Cruise's character in 1986's Top Gun more by that nickname than his actual name, inserting it into the title is a fitting decision. While Cruise wasn't willing to disclose any specific plot details to Access Hollywood, he did provide the following tidbit about what type of movie Top Gun: Maverick will be, saying:
It's gonna be a competition film, like the first one. And it's gonna be in the same vein, the same tone as the first one. But a progression for Maverick.
Tom Cruise also mentioned that just like the original Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick will feature aircraft carriers and jets, which goes without saying; it wouldn't be a Top Gun movie without either of those things. However, he wouldn't confirm or deny whether drones, a pillar of 21st century aerial combat, will appear. Cruise capped off the segment by saying that he's excited to start working on Top Gun: Maverick, calling it a "great challenge."
Top Gun 2 was first announced back in 2010, and original director Tony Scott planned on returning for the sequel. Sadly, Scott committed suicide in 2012, leaving the future of the project uncertain. Progress started to pick back up in 2014 with The Jungle Book screenwriter Justin Marks being hired to tackle the script. Now it's officially getting off the ground, with Cruise expecting to begin filming sometime in the next year. So far Tom Cruise is the only actor who's confirmed for Top Gun: Maverick, although Val Kilmer has expressed interest in reprising Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazanski. Cruise has also said that the sequel will not rely on CGI to pull off any of the amazing flying stunts, and he plans on being in the cockpit as much as possible.
Top Gun: Maverick doesn't have a release date yet, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for when that information and more updates on the project arrive. In the meantime, you can see Tom Cruise playing Nick Morton in The Mummy starting next Friday, June 9.
