Tom Cruise’s Top Gun Is Getting A New Era On Netflix Soon

Published Sep 22, 2026, 1:20 PM EDT

Zoë Miskelly is an editor and second in command for Screen Rant's Movies team, having covered the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture.

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Top Gun is getting a new era on Netflix today, which is sure to help the franchise overall as it continues forward with another film in the works. The Top Gun film series is a fascinating example of how unconventional a movie franchise's timeline can look, with the original classic story of the 1986 Top Gun film being followed up 36 years later with Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.

Though this presented some risks for the series in terms of whether Top Gun: Maverick would be able to replicate what made the original film work, the 2022 sequel released to positive reviews and some considerable box office results, cementing its status as a follow-up that stuck the landing, and leading to conversations around whether the series could continue for another installment as well.

This has left the franchise in an interesting position, as while Top Gun: Maverick would serve as a fitting finale for the series, it seems there is yet more to come for the overarching narrative via at least one more film story set to be on the horizon. Interestingly, Netflix's latest update regarding the Top Gun movie series looks as though it could well help ensure that said follow-up is one audiences are well primed for.

Top Gun: Maverick Is Coming To Netflix Today

September contains many exciting updates and changes for Netflix's streaming roster, with one of the biggest being the reported arrival of Top Gun: Maverick onto the platform on September 22, 2026 (as per What's On Netflix), bringing one of the bigger action movies in recent history onto Netflix for viewers to enjoy.

Though Top Gun: Maverick first came out all the way back in 2022, this should actually work in the film's favor when it comes to it releasing on Netflix in September 2026. Enough time has passed that even those who watched the movie when it originally debuted in theaters may be tempted to rewatch the release on Netflix in 2026, given it's easy to forget specific plot points or be interested in revisiting the film after years have gone by.

Top Gun: Maverick Arriving On Netflix Is Almost Sure To Lead To A Resurgence In Popularity For The Film Franchise

With Top Gun 3 officially in the works as of April 2026 - following some extensive discussions about the prospect and its viability, given the positive reception to Top Gun: Maverick - the 2022 Top Gun sequel having a resurgence in popularity bodes well for the wider franchise, particularly as it should help further cement the franchise's legacy with audiences in a major way.

Given one of Netflix's most consistently popular offerings for audiences is that of still relatively recent but older successful action movies, Top Gun: Maverick coming to the platform is no doubt a move that should benefit both the streaming service in terms of viewing hours, and the wider Top Gun franchise in terms of ensuring the film stays in the cultural consciousness, and potentially netting it more fans.

Now the Top Gun franchise is set to become at least a trilogy at minimum - though the door for spinoffs or follow-ups is more open than ever in a sense - Top Gun: Maverick's new arrival on Netflix is all the more significant, since it means that the proverbial candle lit in audience's hearts for the franchise may grow that bit brighter via this way to either rewatch the film, or finally watch it for the first time.

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  Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

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  Penny Benjamin

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film's events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick's late friend, forcing him to confront his past.