Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski thinks Maverick’s story isn’t over

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has left the door open for a sequel to the hit movie. Speaking as part of Deadline's Contenders LA3C panel, the director dropped a hint that the story could continue into Top Gun 3. 

"Is there another story that is compelling enough that we need to go back?" he said. "It seems to me at the end of this film that Maverick has some gas left in the tank. He’s not settling down."

Top Gun: Maverick picks up more than 30 years after the original movie as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell returns to the Top Gun academy. He is tasked with training up some recent graduates to undertake an almost-impossible mission – all the while he must deal with some ghosts from his own past too.

This is the most promising update we’ve had about the sequel since Rooster star Miles Teller dropped a hint earlier in 2022. The actor told Entertainment Tonight in July that the ball is in Tom Cruise’s court to decide if there’s another story to tell. 

"That would be great," Teller said of the possibility, "but that’s all up to TC. It’s all up to Tom. I’ve been having some conversations with him about it. We’ll see."

In the meantime, Maverick returned to theaters for another two-week run in December to boost its already impressive box office results. The re-release comes ahead of its arrival on Paramount Plus on December 22, 2022.

For other confirmed upcoming movies on the way, check out our guide to 2022 and 2023 movie release dates.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.