Top Gun 3bringing backMaverick’s cast now poses a major problem for the threequel. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the long-awaited sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 classic featured the return ofTom Cruise’s titular test pilot, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, as he trains a group of young Top Gun graduates, including the son of his late friend, for a dangerous mission.
Led by Cruise,Top Gun: Maverick’s castwas a massive ensemble full of experienced stars and unknown newcomers alike, including Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Danny Ramirez, and Val Kilmer in his final film role. SinceMaverickwas a massive success, many of these young stars saw their careers explode as a result.
Top Gun: Maverickwas a massive critical and commercial success that made nearly $1.5 billion at the box officeand earned six Oscar nominations. In turn,Top Gun 3was officially announcedin January 2024, along with the confirmation that Cruise will return as Maverick alongside Teller as Rooster and Powell as Hangman.The return of other cast members, however, remains uncertain.
Top Gun: Maverick’s Cast Didn’t Get A Balanced Screentime
Cruise, Teller & Powell Were The Focus
Because of how big it was, theTop Gun: Maverickcast simply didn’t have balanced screentime in the sequel. The focus was mostly on therelationship between Tom Cruise’s Maverick and Miles Teller’s Rooster, the son of his late RIO, Goose (Anthony Edwards). This was warranted since their arc served as the emotional core of the movie.
Glen Powell’s Hangman also got plenty of screentimeas the primary antagonist who becomes more likable throughout the course of the film, similar to Iceman, culminating in him heroically saving Maverick and Rooster during the thrilling third act. His eventual redemption added some complexity to the storyline, but again, the focus stayed tightly on these three characters.
Meanwhile, cast members like Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, and Danny Ramirez were largelyrelegated to supporting roleswith minimal development for their characters. Their camaraderie and skills were showcased briefly, and quite effectively, but their backstories and motivations largely remained unexplored and underutilized.
Top Gun: Maverick’s Cast Have Become Bigger Names
Powell Leads The Pack
SinceTop Gun: Maverick’s release in 2022, the cast have all become bigger names.Glen Powell’s career exploded afterTop Gun: Maverick,and he is well on his way to true movie star status, having starred in the rom-comAnyone But You, the critical darlingHit Man, the summer blockbusterTwisters, and has Edgar Wright’sRunning Manremakeon the way.
Lewis Pullman has leaped into the superhero spotlightsinceTop Gun: Maverick, making his MCU debut as Robert Reynolds/Sentry inThunderbolts*, and will reprise hisrole inAvengers: Doomsdayin 2026. Danny Ramirez also plays Joaquin Torres/Falcon in the MCU and will also reprise his role in the upcomingAvengersmovie.
Monica Barbaro’s career has also surged sinceTop Gun: Maverick. She garnered much acclaim and earned anAcademy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actressfor playingJoan Baez inA Complete Unknown. The performance showcased her dramatic range and positioned her as a serious, in-demand talent in Hollywood.
Top Gun 3 May Struggle To Bring Everyone Back Or Do Them Justice
It Will Be A Tall Task
With the cast becoming bigger stars, coordinating a reunion of this ensemble inTop Gun 3now comes with significant challenges. With much of the cast locked into packed filming schedules – juggling blockbusters, prestige dramas, and franchise commitments – getting everyone back at the same timecould be a logistical nightmare.
Even ifTop Gun 3secures the full roster,carving out meaningful screen time for each of themwill be a monumental storytelling task. The threequel can’t just reassemble the roster; it has to give each character arc meaningful weight with growth and real stakes.
Giving Barbaro, Pullman, and Ramirez roles that feel as vital as those of Cruise, Teller, and Powell will be tough forTop Gun 3to pull off.
WhileTop Gun 3is in development, a release date has not yet been announced.
