Tom Cruise Celebrates 38th Anniversary Of First ‘Top Gun’

It has been nearly four decades since the Top Gun series debuted, and Tom Cruise decided to mark the original’s 38th anniversary with throwback photos of himself on set. “It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun,” his caption read.

The 61-year-old marked “Top Gun Day” with shots of his twenty-year-old self working with co-star  Val Kilmer, the late director Tony Scott, and movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer. “To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you,” Tom added.

Looking back on the first ‘Top Gun’ 38 years later

Top Gun first made it to theaters in 1986 and was an instant hit, earning four nominations at the 59th Oscars, including one win for Best Original Song. The fan-favorite movie returned in 2022, with Tom and Jerry reuniting for Top Gun: Maverick, although without Scott. The iconic director died by suicide after jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the port district of Los Angeles, California.

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Kilmer also returned for the sequel, which grossed about $1.5 billion. However, he was restricted to a movie scene due to his voice, which he lost to throat cancer. The second installment sees Maverick all grown up and training a new breed of pilots, including Miles Teller and Glen Powell’s characters. Kilmer’s Tom Kazansky also buries the hatchet with Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick.

A third ‘Top Gun’ movie in the works

A third Top Gun film is reportedly set to begin production, and Tom will reprise his role as Maverick. Sources say it was delayed because the A-list star had been busy filming his eighth Mission Impossible movie. Jerry has assured fans that they “pitched Tom a story he liked,” but they have to “wait and see” amid his busy schedule.

Tom’s co-star Jennifer Connelly is also pumped for a possible sequel, although she has yet to confirm its actualization. From the conversations surrounding a new Top Gun project, “it is all up to Tom” to determine its reality. Fans in Tom’s comments have also been pining for a new installment and “can’t wait.” “Thought it was gonna be a ‘Top Gun 3’ announcement. Damn,” a slightly disappointed fan replied to Tom’s recent Top Gun Day post.