Although the Top Gun series currently boasts an incredible box office record, it will be a lot harder for Top Gun 3 to hold on to this accolade. Top Gun: Maverick took a long time to arrive in theaters, but this didn’t hurt the blockbuster sequel’s reception. Top Gun was released back in 1986 and a whole 36 years elapsed before Top Gun: Maverick arrived in May 2022. Despite its myriad production problems and release date delays, by Top Gun: Maverick’s ending, it was clear that the franchise had managed to outdo its original outing among critics and fans.
Top Gun: Maverick became a rare sequel that outperformed its predecessor at the box office and among reviewers, with critics hailing the follow-up as a stronger, more focused sequel with a better story. It will be tough for Top Gun 3’s plot to top the poignant effectiveness of Rooster and Maverick’s conflict, but this isn’t the only major gauntlet that the sequel’s success threw down. Top Gun: Maverick’s financial performance was incredibly impressive, with the sequel earning $1.4 billion at the box office. Before its release, it seemed impossible for Top Gun: Maverick to outdo the original movie’s box office.
Top Gun 3 Must Become The Highest Grossing Movie Of The Year To Maintain A Franchise Streak
No Other Blockbuster Franchise Shares This Achievement
When adjusted for inflation, Top Gun made over $900 million upon release. Top Gun: Maverick not only outdid this achievement but kept another series record alive in the process. Both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick were the biggest movies of their respective release years, but it will be tough for Top Gun 3 to repeat this feat. From the Harry Potter movies to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, to the Star Wars saga, to the Pirates of the Caribbean and Marvel franchises, every other blockbuster series has too many installments to win the top spot every release year.
Some of the movies in all of these series inevitably weren’t the biggest movies in their release year. The franchises all faced competition from each other, something Top Gun’s two movies avoided since they were released so far apart. Top Gun: Maverick narrowly avoided being outgrossed by Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021 and the sequel only beat Avatar: The Way of Water thanks to its convenient release date. James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel arrived in December, splitting its massive gross between 2022 and 2023. Regardless of Top Gun 3’s story, this luck will be hard to replicate.
Why Top Gun 3 Maintaining The Franchise’s Box Office Streak Will Be A Challenge
Top Gun’s Franchise Box Office Record Is Hard To Replicate
The more entries there are in the Top Gun franchise, the more the series runs the risk of losing its record. Although both Top Gun and its sequel fared incredibly well at the box office, the franchise’s ability to maintain the top spot across its years of release is helped by how few entries there are in the series. Since Top Gun 3’s production has been confirmed, the franchise is guaranteed to risk its tenuous position with a third outing. The Top Gun series may run out of luck, but Top Gun 3 might still be able to repeat this unlikely feat judging by its predecessor’s successes.