Who Is Directing ‘Top Gun 3’? The Joseph Kosinski Rumors Explained
To the surprise of fans, Top Gun 3 has officially been confirmed. Some of the film franchise’s original production team and cast will be reprising their roles. Notably, Tom Cruise will still be starring in the third movie—but not everyone’s making a comeback.
Josh Kosinski, the director of Top Gun: Maverick, won’t be making his return. The director will be working on Miami Vice, starring Michael B. Jordan. It may seem like a surprise, but arguably, it’s tradition at this point for all the Top Gun movies to have different directors. Tony Scott was the director of the first movie, and to this day, his artistic choices remain memorable to film critics.
A history of changing directors
Aside from the action, what made the first movie special was the way Scott utilized the golden hour to give scenes a distinctive warmth. It’s why everyone—including Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis looked like they had Instagram filters on even before filters existed. But Scott would pass away before a second film would come to fruition.
When Kosinski took the project on, he had a realistic and fast-paced approach to the film—essentially making it optimal for IMAX. Top Gun is already an action-packed movie, but Kosinski made audiences feel as though they were in the stratosphere with Tom Cruise in a fighter jet.
Both movies were reflective of the different eras of action films. Scott’s late 1980s approach is now a retro staple, and Kosinski’s early 2020s sequel rode on the IMAX hype. With streaming services and AI at large, who knows what possibilities the third movie holds?
Given the advancements in warfare, drones may even be involved in the next film. It wouldn’t be a surprise if it were the case. There has also been a trend of “old guard” characters in movies and games retiring or being given one last time to shine, so this may be the sunset of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
Possible Top Gun 3 directors
At the moment, it’s unclear who will be replacing Kosinski as director. Ehren Kruger is still in charge of the script and is reportedly almost finished writing it. Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer, will also be doing his part on the third installment of the movie.
But even with a script ready, Top Gun can’t move forward without a director. Talks online speculate that the movie won’t be released until 2028, when the film finds a director worthy of handling the project. Moreover, no shooting has begun yet. So, even if there is a third movie, it will take some time before the next one comes out.
Nevertheless, there are some directors that may do wonders on screen if they take the project on. Christopher McQuarrie of the latest Mission: Impossible films is the first that comes to mind. Not only has he had a successful partnership with Tom Cruise in the past, but he’s notably fond of real stunts over CGI. If anybody could bring back Tony Scott’s rustic aesthetic with a twist, it has to be McQuarrie.
But where stunts and flashy fast-paced fight scenes are concerned, another candidate for director is David Leitch of John Wick. He’s arguably a perfect fit where choreography and practical combat are concerned, but with a theatrical flare. It’s a slight departure from Kosinski’s realism, but perhaps a welcome one.
(featured image: Amazon Prime Video)
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