Tom Cruise Created A Major Top Gun 3 Problem 5 Years Before Maverick

Well ahead of Top Gun: Maverick‘s theatrical debut, Tom Cruise created a major problem for future franchise installments, including Top Gun 3. Given Cruise’s producing duties on Top Gun: Maverick, the franchise lead was more heavily involved in the movie’s development process than the average Hollywood star. This led Cruise to weigh in on plenty of crucial decision-making processes, from narrative choices to what the film would be called. After all, there was a lot riding on the Top Gun sequel — a long-awaited follow-up to the 1986 classic — even before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered theaters and delayed the movie.