Joseph Kosinski Reveals Big New Direction for Maverick in ‘Top Gun 3’

Director Joseph Kosinski, known for Top Gun: Maverick, has shared some new details about his latest film, F1, and dropped hints about what’s coming next in the Top Gun series. After the huge success of Maverick, Kosinski turned his attention to Formula One racing.

His new movie features Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, and was filmed during real Formula One events to capture the excitement and energy of the sport.

Kosinski said filming during live races made a big difference. “The scale and spectacle of a Formula One race is not something that I think you can stage with all of the money in the world.” Having real drivers and real cars in the background helped make the movie feel genuine for viewers.

But it’s Top Gun 3 that fans are most eager to hear about. Kosinski hinted that the next film will take Maverick’s story into new and deeper territory. He described the upcoming movie as exploring a serious, personal challenge for Maverick. “It’s an existential question that Maverick has to deal with, that would make Maverick feel small, I think, as a movie, compared to what we’re talking about.” He laughed as he said this, keeping the full details a secret for now.

Unlike the first two films, which focused on fast planes and passing the torch to a new generation, this one will dive into something bigger and more emotional for Tom Cruise’s character. Kosinski emphasized that Maverick will still be a key part of the story. “There’s still more story to tell for him. There’s one last ride.”

The script is being written by Ehren Kruger, who also worked on F1. Kosinski said they want to make sure the story is strong before moving ahead.

Kosinski also shared a fun idea about a possible movie with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise together. He imagined their characters, Sonny Hayes (Pitt) and Cole Trickle (Cruise’s character from Days of Thunder), having a past rivalry. He joked, “Who wouldn’t pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?” This idea was inspired by a real go-kart race between the actors on the set of Interview with a Vampire.

When asked about directing a James Bond film, Kosinski admitted he’s a fan but noted that the role usually goes to British directors. Still, he said he’d love to work on Bond someday.

Kosinski clearly enjoys making big movies that combine thrilling action with real emotion. His comments about Top Gun 3 suggest it will be more than just an action film—it will explore something deeper for Maverick and offer a fresh challenge.

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