Top Gun: Maverick could set up Top Gun 3, but shouldn’t without first resolving one of the franchise’s biggest stories. Though Tom Cruise is approaching 60 years old, there’s no proof as of yet that the highly anticipated sequel will bring his story to a close. It’s entirely plausible that Paramount Pictures plans to make a third movie, especially if Top Gun 2 performs well at the box office.
The franchise’s uncertain future has created a number of questions surrounding how the movie’s story will end. Even Maverick’s survival is in doubt at this point, as many are under the impression that the movie’s mission may call for Tom Cruise’s character to make the ultimate sacrifice in Top Gun 2’s ending. The mystery regarding Maverick’s fate makes it hard to predict whether or not the sequel is where the story ends for good. There’s also the possibility of the studio giving the leading role to a different actor in the future.
Regardless of where the movie leaves Maverick, it should be possible for the franchise to be expanded with Top Gun 3. If he lives, the movie could see him give up his wings and deepen his role as a mentor to the younger pilots, or perhaps it might even find a way to keep him around as a pilot (despite his advancing age). Or, he could die and pass on the baton completely. Either way, though, it’s important that if Top Gun 3 is made, the franchise needs to have already moved beyond Goose’s death. Not only did it define Maverick’s story in the original 1986 movie, but the trailers prove that he’s also casting a long shadow on Top Gun 2 as well.
Goose’s significance to Top Gun 2 is made evident by the inclusion of the Rooster character, who is confirmed to be Goose’s son. The emphasis placed on his resentment toward Maverick over his father’s fate in the Top Gun 2 trailers is indicative of this plotline being integral to the sequel. Of course, the impact Goose’s death had on Maverick has enough storytelling potential that it made sense for the Top Gun franchise to carry it over into the sequel, but that’s really where it should end. Maverick should find a way to bring some level of finality to Goose’s story so that all characters involved can get new stories in Top Gun 3.
Similar to the situation with the second movie, Top Gun 3 can be defined by past events, but not something that’s already been adequately explored in two films. It would be better for the third installment to build off developments from Top Gun: Maverick, and not ones that are directly related to Goose’s death. One way that can work is through the dynamic shared between Maverick and Rooster. Perhaps if the latter can let go of his anger toward Maverick, Tom Cruise’s character can accept what happened and move on to a new chapter of his life in Top Gun 3.
Key Release Dates
Top Gun: Maverick
Release Date:2022-05-27
