10 Directors Top Gun 3 Could Land To Replace Maverick's Joseph Kosinski

Kosinski was ultimately the choice to take over the franchise that director Tony Scott launched in 1986. He previously worked with Cruise on the 2013 sci-fi movie Oblivion, and the star's preference for working with familiar filmmakers from his past helped Kosinski land the responsibility of relaunching Top Gun. His exceptional handle on the material, world, flying sequences, and more were instrumental in Maverick's success.

It's now unlikely that Kosinski directs Top Gun 3, according to recent reports. He may still very well secure a producer credit and be involved in some capacity, but the project's current trajectory indicates a new director will be necessary as Kosinski focuses on directing Miami Vice '85. Paramount is certainly already mulling who they'd want to handle an iconic franchise like Top Gun. There are a handful of people who should be considered.

10 Christopher McQuarrie

If Kosinski is out, the first thought for Cruise will probably be Christopher McQuarrie. The writer/director has been a longtime collaborator of the action star. McQuarrie is responsible for directing the last four Mission: Impossible movies and both Jack Reacher films. He's also worked officially and unofficially on many other of Cruise's modern movies, including a writing credit on Maverick.

McQuarrie has already been involved in the scripting process of Top Gun 3, so he's more than familiar with the idea for the movie. His experience directing major blockbusters with incredibly practical action sequences would be invaluable here. He'd be a safe pair of hands for Top Gun 3 to be in.

9 James Mangold

Paramount's first choice for Top Gun 3, though, could be James Mangold. The director signed an overall deal with the studio post-Skydance ownership, setting up a new movie with Timothée Chalamet already. With movies like Logan and Ford v. Ferrari in his filmography, he's proven he can blend high-octane action with strong characters.

It'd make sense for Paramount to want him to oversee one of its biggest pieces of IP in light of their deal. Mangold could also easily get Cruise's approval, as the two previously worked together on 2010's action comedy Knight and Day. This would be their opportunity to use their combined skills to deliver a much bigger and greater movie nearly two decades later.

8 Lee Isaac Chung

Cruise may prefer to work with a director he's familiar with, but that doesn't mean whoever directs Top Gun 3 will have that history with the franchise star. Instead, it could be someone who he has supported without actively being in one of their films. This would be the case for Lee Isaac Chung, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Minari, who also made Twisters a big summer hit in 2024.

He has a working relationship with one of the expected Top Gun 3 stars, as Powell was in the tornado-driven sequel. With Chung recently dropping out of a new Ocean's movie and waiting for a Twisters sequel to be announced, perhaps he could be available and ready to take Maverick's story in a whole new direction.

7 Doug Liman

Another of Cruise's frequent collaborators, Doug Liman could also be a Paramount favorite for Top Gun 3 depending on recent experiences. In the last few years, Liman was hired by the studio to make a reboot of The Saint and a new version of Stephen King's The Stand. Neither have come to fruition so far, but there is a solid working relationship in place it seems.

The director and Cruise were recently plotting a reunion for Deeper, which has since been thrown into limbo over budgeting. While they try to figure that project out, Liman could step up for Top Gun 3 and reunite with his Edge of Tomorrow and American Made star. His productions might not always be smooth, but Cruise could make this possible.

6 Patty Jenkins

There's also a compelling case for Patty Jenkins. The director of Wonder Woman hasn't made a movie since Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020, with her development on a third film and Star Wars' Rogue Squadron stalling out. The strength of the characters and emotion in her movies could pair nicely with Top Gun 3.

Jenkins also has a personal history with pilots. Her father was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot in the Vietnam War and died in a simulated dogfight. This was why making Rogue Squadron was so personal for her. Since she's not in line to see her Star Wars movie realized, it'd be exciting to see her pour her love of aviation and first-hand knowledge of the risks the pilots are at into Top Gun 3.

5 Brad Bird

While McQuarrie is the most likely director of Mission: Impossible fame to get the Top Gun 3 job, it'd be smart for Paramount and Cruise to also look at Brad Bird. Known primarily for his hit animated movies like The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, he also helmed Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the fourth installment of Cruise's action franchise.

Bird hasn't made a live-action movie since Disney's 2015 sci-fi movie Tomorrowland, but he deserves another crack at it. Top Gun 3 would be a massive production to accomplish that. If Paramount wants someone familiar with blockbusters, practical action, and an open schedule (his new movie, Ray Gunn, comes out later this year), then Bird could be the right choice.

4 Barry Jenkins

Paramount could also swing for the fences and try to land Barry Jenkins. This is more of an unconventional pick, as he's never done an action movie or a proper blockbuster. It'd be naive to think that Jenkins couldn't handle one, though. His addition would ensure some of the strongest character work and performances that the Top Gun franchise has ever seen.

While Jenkins has never worked with Cruise or Paramount, he does have a link to Top Gun 3 through Powell. It was announced last year that the two are developing a sci-fi movie for Universal. The status of that project is unclear, but if the filmmaker and star wanted to make something soon, this could be an option. Jenkins signing on for Top Gun 3 would certainly be a surprising but exciting outcome.

3 Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Before Cruise makes Top Gun 3, he's made a new black comedy with acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who made Birdman and The Revenant. Their new film, Digger, comes out later this year, and all indications are that the star and director have had a great time working together.

Should they want the good times to continue, Top Gun 3 is there for the taking. This would be the largest movie of Ińárritu's career by a long shot, but he's already proven he's capable of delivering tense and dangerous action sequences. Doing so on the scale of Top Gun 3 could let him further flex that ability and become more widely recognized by the general public.

2 Paul Thomas Anderson

There's no bigger announcement for Top Gun 3's director than Paul Thomas Anderson. The longtime celebrated auteur hit it big with One Battle After Another last year, as it received rave reviews, a record box office haul, and multiple Oscar wins. There's no word on what he's going to do next, but Top Gun 3 isn't completely unrealistic.

He's already ventured into action filmmaking with bigger budgets and IMAX screens with One Battle After Another. Anderson has also worked with Cruise before, albeit 27 years ago for Magnolia. This would be a chance to deliver a long-awaited reunion. The director wouldn't turn his nose up at this chance because it's an action franchise, either. Anderson wanted to direct a Mission: Impossible movie, and while he's missed that chance, Top Gun would be an amazing fallback option.

1 Tom Cruise

That's right. If Paramount and Cruise go looking for a Top Gun 3 director, why couldn't they land on him doing it? He has decades of experience working on these huge tentpole films and is very influential on his productions. His understanding of how to make movies like this is practically unparalleled, so if the movie becomes such a priority, perhaps he'll want to just do it himself.

This is a long shot, though. Directing Top Gun 3 would add even more to Cruise's plate, which will already be quite full for the sequel. He also has never directed a movie, with his only official directing credit coming from an episode of TV in 1993. Additionally, Cruise can still be actively involved in many aspects of the film as the star-producer without adding director to his credits.