Miles Teller is keeping expectations in check on a potential third Top Gun movie—while also making one thing very clear: if Tom Cruise calls, he wants time to train.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Teller joked that he’s already given Cruise a very specific request for any future installment: “Give me enough time, heads up for me to get in shape… one month per ab — I need six months heads up.”
The line, delivered with a grin, was a nod to how physically demanding the Top Gun machine can be—especially after Top Gun: Maverick made Teller’s Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw part of one of the sequel’s most talked-about set pieces: the beach football sequence that instantly became meme fuel and fan service.
Teller also stressed that he isn’t in the driver’s seat when it comes to whether Top Gun 3 actually happens. As he’s said in other interviews, Cruise tends to move quietly and decisively when projects are real—and until the call comes, Teller is treating it like a “we’ll see.”
Still, the broader industry signals suggest it’s not just wishful thinking. In January 2024, outlets including Deadline and Variety reported that Paramount was developing a third film, with Maverick co-writer Ehren Kruger working on a draft and the studio exploring how to reunite key creative players.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has also publicly discussed Top Gun 3 as a project in development, and co-star Glen Powell has teased that he’s aware of timing conversations—without offering specifics.
For now, Teller’s “one month per ab” rule reads less like a demand than a playful reminder of what audiences expect from the franchise: precision, spectacle—and leading men who look like they’ve been living in a flight simulator and a gym.
Whether Top Gun 3 takes off soon or stays on the runway a while longer, Teller is signaling he’s game—as long as he gets the heads-up.
