Miles Teller Is Totally Down To Make Top Gun: Rooster
A tentative "Top Gun: Maverick" sequel, "Top Gun: Rooster," might grace our screens sometime in the future, at least according to Miles Teller, who plays Rooster in the upcoming "Top Gun" film. In an interview with ScreenRant, Teller spoke about the potential future of the "Top Gun" franchise, saying he wants to work in a sequel revolving around his character, Rooster:
"I'm trying to get a Top Gun: Rooster. I've been pitching it. We'll see what happens. I don't know. I think it's interesting. Obviously, everybody was begging Tom to do a sequel right after the first one came out. I think this movie puts a nice bow on it; it really kind of wraps it up, but we'll see. I'm available."
While Teller's interest is not confirmation of a "Maverick" sequel by any means, it does keep the realm of possibility open when it comes to the potential expansion of the franchise.
The potential for a new era of aviators
"Top Gun: Maverick" takes place 30 years after the events of the original film, and Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is now a mentor to budding pilots while working as a test pilot for the Navy. Dodging his promotion for years, Maverick finds it difficult to transition to the next phase of his life, as he wishes to hold on to the thrill he is so fond of, all his life. There's also Rooster, the son of Maverick's former flying partner Goose, which propels the two men to share a tense, complex bond.
Teller's character is seminal to the narrative of "Top Gun: Maverick," as his presence creates some of the conflicts in Maverick's trajectory as a character. While Teller explained that the upcoming film neatly wraps up narrative threads, a potential sequel with Rooster as the focus could definitely steer the franchise towards fresh directions. Maverick can still be a steady presence, as Cruise is integral to "Top Gun," but the focus can very well shift to younger characters, who can follow their own arcs and adventures.
Apart from Cruise and Teller, "Top Gun: Maverick" also stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. Kilmer reprises his role as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, Maverick's former rival and now-close friend. While critical reviews for the film have dubbed it better than the original, it remains to be seen whether "Maverick" is able to perform well at the box office, and potentially achieve blockbuster status.
"Top Gun: Maverick" hits theaters on May 27, 2022.