Warning: Full Spoilers follow for Top Gun: Maverick. Do you want to know if there's a post-credits scene in the film? We'll tell you right here: There are no post- or mid-credits scenes.
Top Gun: Maverick sure took its sweet time arriving in theaters, but that 36-year wait was definitely worth it. Who doesn't love to watch impossibly handsome pilots pull off extreme stunts while Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" blasts at full volume?
The Top Gun franchise might not be terribly complex in the story department, but the sequel still raises a few interesting questions worth addressing. Let's take a closer look at that ending, explore the mystery of who exactly Maverick and the gang were dogfighting against, and discuss what a potential Top Gun 3 could be about.
Does Top Gun: Maverick Have a Post-Credits Scene?
First things first. No, Top Gun: Maverick doesn't have a post-credits scene. The movie leaves certain doors open for a possible sequel (and we'll cover that later in this article), but there's nothing during or after the credits that directly sets up a possible Top Gun 3.
Top Gun 2's Ending and Pete Mitchell's Redemption
Top Gun: Maverick chronicles what may well be the most important mission in Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's long Naval career. Maverick is called on to train a new group of Top Gun recruits for a mission most would find physically impossible to complete. Luckily for everyone involved, Maverick turns out to be a far better teacher than anyone (he included) would have guessed. Thanks to a Luke Skywalker-worthy shot from Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the enemy's uranium enrichment facility is destroyed and a potential nuclear war is averted.
However, the sequel is ultimately about Maverick's struggle to finally move on after the death of his best friend (and Rooster's father), Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards in the original film). Goose's tragic death is one of the key scenes in the original Top Gun, as he's killed when a training exercise goes horribly wrong. So it only makes sense that Top Gun: Maverick ends with an added wrinkle to the mission that forces Maverick and Rooster to finally bury the hatchet and work together.
Initially, it seems Maverick is about to sacrifice his life to save Rooster from being shot down, thereby repaying the debt he feels he owes to the Bradshaw family. But one could argue that he would only be perpetuating the cycle and passing his guilt onto Rooster. Instead, the film has Rooster return to save Maverick, leading both men to make a daring escape aboard an aging F-14 Tomcat (the same model Maverick and the gang flew in the original movie). Along the way, Maverick proves once and for all that the pilot matters more than the machine, as he's able to defeat a highly advanced 5th generation fighter using an obsolete model.
In short, it's a happy ending for all involved. Maverick and Rooster made peace, and now the former finally seems ready to move on and enjoy life on the ground for a change. Only time will tell if his romance with Jennifer Connelly's Penny will succeed where his fling with Kelly McGillis' Charlie clearly failed.
Top Gun 2: Who Were the Villains?
One of the more curious elements of Top Gun: Maverick is that the film is never clear on who its villains are. The rival military is only ever referred to as "the enemy," and we never actually see this enemy in the flesh apart from a handful of masked, featureless fighter pilots. The film only reveals three details about "the enemy." They have a fleet of advanced 5th generation fighter planes, they're working to build a supply of enriched uranium with which to develop an arsenal of nuclear weapons, and they're located in a region with steep mountains and a cold climate.
Currently, only a handful of nations are actively developing 5th and 6th generation fighters, and those aircraft that do exist are largely owned by the US, China and Russia. That would suggest either of the latter two nations is meant to be "the enemy." The frozen terrain seen in the climax certainly evokes images of Russia. On the other hand, Russia and China are already established nuclear powers, whereas the stealthy strike on the uranium enrichment facility would seem to point to a smaller adversary like North Korea or Iran.
The answer is that there isn't really an answer. There's no real-world country that matches "the enemy" as depicted in Top Gun: Maverick. Presumably, Paramount is wary of stirring up controversy by showing the US Navy carrying out a military strike on a hostile foreign power. Not to mention that, with the international box office becoming more and more crucial to the success of expensive blockbuster movies, the studio has a vested interest in not alienating the Chinese market. Even Disney has often struggled with that dilemma.
Just like how Marvel and DC often rely on fictional countries as stand-ins for real-world locales (Sokovia, UMEC, Sian Cong, Corto Maltese, etc.), Top Gun: Maverick has cooked up a fictional, controversy-free threat for its hotshot pilots to destroy. Even the original film followed that approach. Despite the fact that Top Gun shows Maverick and Iceman shooting down several Russian MiG-28 fighters, that film is similarly vague about where the climactic dogfight is taking place and which military the Navy is engaging.
Maverick and Rooster's Future: Will There Be a Top Gun 3?
With Top Gun: Maverick already tracking to have the best global opening weekend of any Tom Cruise movie to date, it stands to reason a sequel could be in the cards. But if those discussions are happening internally at Paramount, there's no indication just yet. The studio has yet to confirm any plans for a Top Gun 3.
Top Gun: Maverick certainly leaves the door open for a sequel. While Maverick's character arc is more or less complete at this point, there's still plenty of story left to tell with Rooster and his fellow classmates. He may not look it, but Cruise is just weeks shy of his 60th birthday as Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters. Any future sequels would likely shift the Maverick character to more of a supporting mentor role, with Miles Teller and his younger costars taking over the death-defying aerial stunts.
What would the sequel be about? Top Gun: Maverick deals with the clash between old-school fighter pilots and a new generation of advanced, unmanned drones, and that debate is never entirely settled by the end of the film. Sure, Maverick and Rooster prove there's no substitute for human ingenuity, but their mission also would have been much simpler and less risky if the Navy had been able to dispatch a fleet of unmanned fighters that weren't subject to the limits of human endurance. If Top Gun 3 does happen, we wouldn't be surprised to see this clash of warring philosophies become an even bigger part of the plot. Perhaps we'll see a newly promoted Pete Mitchell butt heads again with Ed Harris' character, Rear Admiral Cain.
Whatever the sequel is about, we just hope it won't take another 36 years to reach the big screen.
For more on Top Gun: Maverick, check out IGN's review of the sequel, find out why a key scene could only be filmed once and brush up on all the big movies of Summer 2022.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
The article delves into several key elements of "Top Gun: Maverick," encompassing its storyline, character arcs, potential for a sequel, and the ambiguous nature of its antagonists. As for the concepts involved:
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Post-Credits Scene: The movie does not feature any post- or mid-credits scenes, leaving possibilities open for a sequel without directly setting up one through additional scenes after the movie.
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Ending and Character Arcs: The film focuses on Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's pivotal mission, highlighting his struggle to move on from the death of his friend, Goose. The ending sees Maverick and Rooster reconciling and making peace, marking Maverick's readiness to embrace a new phase in his life.
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Villains and Ambiguity: One intriguing aspect is the ambiguity surrounding the film's antagonists. The enemy is vaguely depicted without clear identification, leaving the audience to speculate about their identity and motives. The adversaries possess advanced fighter planes and seek to develop nuclear weapons, hinting at larger geopolitical implications, but the movie intentionally avoids linking them to any real-world nation.
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Potential Sequel: While the film doesn't confirm a sequel officially, it leaves room for further storytelling. Potential sequel ideas revolve around the clash between traditional piloting and advanced unmanned drone technology, suggesting a conflict between generations of pilots. This could pave the way for a storyline involving newer characters taking center stage while Maverick assumes a mentorship role.
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Real-World Parallels and Fictional Threats: Similar to other franchises like Marvel and DC, "Top Gun: Maverick" creates a fictional, controversy-free threat, avoiding direct ties to real-world geopolitics, possibly to prevent controversy and appeal to international audiences.
The article raises questions about the film's narrative choices, character developments, and the potential direction for future installments. It leaves audiences intrigued by the open-ended possibilities while reflecting on the thematic conflicts introduced in the sequel.
