The prospect of a Top Gun: Maverick sequel is exciting, but a follow-up prequel set before Top Gun 2 would be a better prospect for Top Gun 3. Shattering many box office records, Top Gun: Maverick single-handedly changed the course of how movies were performing in theaters in the post-pandemic era. By becoming the second movie to reach the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, it proved that not all blockbusters have to be long-standing franchise films. Considering its success, it is not surprising that audiences from all over the world are already hoping for a potential sequel to Top Gun: Maverick.
Fortunately, even from a storytelling standpoint, Top Gun: Maverick does pave the way for a sequel in more ways than one. For instance, the movie seems to establish Rooster and Hangman as the franchise’s leads while still holding on to Maverick as a guiding figure who trains and mentors up-and-coming Top Gun pilots. However, more than a sequel, Top Gun 2 sets the stage for a prequel film that could unfold many narratives surrounding Maverick’s past missions, relationships, and promises.
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Top Gun 2 Already Ended Maverick’s Story
By leading a mission meant for newly graduated TOPGUN trainees, Top Gun 2’s Maverick proves that he is no relic of the bygone era and still has what it takes to be a brilliant fighter pilot. Even his emotional journey reaches a well-rounded closure when Rooster realizes he meant well when he withdrew his application from the Naval Academy. Towards the end of Top Gun: Maverick, Pete also finds love, flying off into the sunset with Penny in his P-51 Mustang. Although Top Gun 2 does not confirm Pete’s retirement, the movie’s ending seems to hint that it could be the end of the line of his tenure with naval aviation.
Now that he has won the respect of his trainees, resolved his underlying issues with Rooster, and found a family he can settle down with, his return in another Top Gun sequel would feel forced. Considering how Tom Cruise took over three decades to execute his ambitious vision for Top Gun 2, forcing a sequel would only undermine the efforts that went behind adding new depth to Maverick’s storyline in the sequel. A prequel, however, would still make sense since Pete Mitchell’s past leaves a lot of space for many potential stories.
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A Lot Happened Between Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick hints at Pete Mitchell’s past by featuring many tales surrounding his feats of bravery as a pilot. For instance, in one scene, Harris says that in his thirty-plus years of service, Maverick has earned several medals, citations, and is also known to be the only man who has shot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years. Harris’ statement itself shows that a lot has happened between the events of Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, which lays the foundations for all the stories the prequel could explore.
Although Maverick is no less heroic and courageous in Top Gun 2, he seems more calloused and grounded in the sequel. A prequel can delve deeper into all the events that triggered his transformation by depicting his journey through grief after Goose’s death and his resistance towards following the naval hierarchy to retain his place in the cockpit. Additionally, the prequel could also bring in more aerial action by featuring Maverick’s slam-bang dogfights between the events of Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.
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Rooster’s Past Can Complement His Top Gun 2 Story
Apart from Maverick’s aviation journey, the Top Gun 3 prequel can also harken back to the origins of Rooster and Hangman’s rivalry and use it as a narrative device to remind viewers of Maverick and Iceman’s complex dynamic during the first Top Gun. Since Rooster’s past alone presents many intriguing prospects surrounding his struggles with joining the Naval Academy and coming to terms with his father’s death, the prequel seems to have a lot to work with if it narrows down on Rooster’s storyline. Delving deeper into Rooster’s past could also allow the prequel to show how Maverick looks out for him from behind the scenes while struggling with his grief surrounding Goose’s death.
Treading this path would prevent the Top Gun prequel from featuring Maverick and Rooster in the same frame. However, it could still add a lot of depth to both characters’ narratives by establishing how their stories have always been interconnected. This, in turn, would add more context to Rooster’s animosity towards Maverick. Therefore, while Rooster and Maverick’s arcs in Top Gun 2 are rich enough to be left alone as one-time ventures, a closer look at their past can certainly complement their Top Gun 2 storylines.
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Top Gun 3 Can Resolve Big Top Gun: Maverick Mysteries
Although Top Gun 2 gives Maverick a perfect ending, it still leaves some mysteries surrounding his past. For instance, it is evident that Pete and Charlie’s relationship ended long before Top Gun 2, but the reasons behind their breakup have not been revealed yet. Similarly, while Top Gun 2 confirms that Maverick dropped Rooster’s Naval Academy application because he had promised Nicole, the movie leaves the details behind Nicole’s death and its impact on Rooster shrouded in mystery. The Top Gun prequel has the opportunity to resolve these mysteries and even walk viewers through the poignant moments that led to Maverick promising Nicole that he would look out for her son.
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Phoenix’s Backstory Can Introduce More Female Top Gun Pilots
Compared to its predecessor, Top Gun 2 does a better job of representing female characters, introducing Phoenix as a skilled pilot. Using this as a cue, the prequel can rewind to Lieutenant Natasha “Phoenix” Trace’s early days at the TOPGUN program and bring more female pilots to its roster. Since Phoenix is more of a side character in Top Gun: Maverick, the prequel can also add more layers to her characterization by highlighting all the odds she overcame as a pilot to find her place among the Top Gun recruits.
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Top Gun 3 Can Add More Depth To Maverick & Iceman’s Dynamic
One of the most nostalgic moments in Top Gun 2 is when Iceman reminds Maverick that both the kid (Rooster) and the navy need him. That’s all it takes for Iceman to convince Maverick that he should move on from the shadows of his past and look forward to the opportunities and scope for growth that lies ahead. The scene perfectly captures Maverick and Iceman’s dynamic by establishing the significance Val Kilmer’s character still holds in Maverick’s life. A Top Gun: Maverick prequel can achieve something similar and honor Val Kilmer’s legacy by walking through all the times when Iceman had Maverick’s back both inside and outside the cockpit.