Summary

• Top Gun 3 could revisit the emotional grave scene cut from the original ending, improving on its dark tone with added depth.
• Maverick's growth in Top Gun: Maverick is evident as he seeks forgiveness for past mistakes, making for a more poignant storyline.
• The older Maverick in Top Gun 3 may struggle with his mortality, adding new layers of emotion and relevance to the story.

While Top Gun: Maverick. For all of its thrilling stunts and sillier moments, Top Gun: Maverick is a darker movie than its franchise predecessor. This is largely down to Tom Cruise’s eponymous antihero Maverick, who went from being a cocky young test pilot in the original movie to a washed-up has-been in Top Gun: Maverick. Where Maverick’s recklessness is charming in Top Gun, it is almost tragic in Top Gun: Maverick as his character is finally forced to grow up.

This is epitomized in Top Gun: Maverick’s ending, wherein Maverick is granted an opportunity to forgive himself for the death of Top Gun’s Goose when he and Goose’s son Rooster save each other during a dangerous mission. This comes shortly after the death of Iceman, who told Maverick that he needed to let go of his guilt over Goose’s death during their last conversation. While Iceman’s death was devastating, Top Gun: Maverick’s story managed to link his ing to Goose’s death in a manner that made Maverick’s arc all the more compelling.

There is no current release date for Top Gun 3.

Top Gun 3 Can Revive The Original Movie's Deleted Ending

Top Gun: Maverick’s Sequel Could Bring Back Maverick’s Trip To Goose’s Grave

In the original ending of Top Gun, Maverick visits Goose’s grave after his triumphant mission and his reunion with Charlie. This poignant cut Top Gun ending was undeniably moving, but it was also an oddly dark note to end the sunny blockbuster on. Maverick’s storyline ending at Goose’s graveside punctured the fun escapism of Top Gun’s plot, adding a note of misplaced tragedy to the movie’s ending. However, Top Gun 3 could now revisit this scene and improve on it thanks to Top Gun: Maverick’s Iceman death, since Cruise’s character could visit two fallen comrades in the sequel.

While the plot of Top Gun 3 is not yet known, the sequel shouldn’t see Maverick continue to torture himself over his role in Goose’s death.

In Top Gun 3, Maverick could visit Goose and Iceman’s graves instead of just Goose’s resting place. This would be less depressing than Maverick visiting Goose’s grave in Top Gun’s original ending since the protagonist never held himself responsible for Iceman’s death. This makes it clear that Maverick is seeking guidance from them, rather than trying to right a perceived wrong. While the plot of Top Gun 3 is not yet known, the sequel shouldn’t see Maverick continue to torture himself over his role in Goose’s death. Instead, he should visit to seek guidance from both of his late friends.

Top Gun 3 Would Improve Top Gun's Cut Grave Scene

Top Gun’s Missing Ending Scene Should Have Come Earlier In Its Story

By putting the grave visit earlier in the movie, Top Gun 3 could fix what was wrong with Top Gun's original ending. It would create a heartfelt scene if Maverick were to visit his friends' graves and deliver an emotional monologue, but it was jarringly bleak to keep this moment until after the original movie’s bombastic climax. For Top Gun 3’s revision of the scene to work, Maverick would need to seek out Goose and Iceman’s graves around the same time that he spoke to Iceman in person in Top Gun: Maverick. His plan for the mission was well underway, but he was plagued by doubt.

Since Top Gun 3 doesn’t need a Maverick romance subplot, the sequel could rearrange the order of its story somewhat and avoid replicating Top Gun: Maverick’s plot verbatim in the process. However, regardless of the sequel’s plot specifics, the odds are pretty good that Maverick will have another crisis of conscience midway through the story. As such, it would make sense for him to seek solace by visiting two of his former friends, and placing this scene in the middle of Top Gun 3’s story would make Maverick’s grave visit feel less maudlin.

Revisiting Top Gun's Missing Ending Makes More Sense In Top Gun 3

Maverick Visiting Goose And Iceman’s Graves Makes More Sense Now

Maverick is a lot older now than he was in the original movie, so it would be understandable for him to struggle with his mortality more in Top Gun 3. If Top Gun 3’s story focuses on fifth-generation fighters and other technological advancements like drone warfare, the sequel could double down on Maverick’s fear of his own irrelevance. This would make the premature losses of Iceman and Goose all the more moving and would make a scene where he visits their graves even more effective. Maverick’s place in the world is changing, and his old friends are gone.

Both Top Gun movies succeeded precisely because they were able to inject a bit of necessary pathos into their storylines.

While this might seem like a downbeat addition to an action-packed blockbuster story, both Top Gun movies succeeded precisely because they were able to inject a bit of necessary pathos into their storylines. The Top Gun movies are far from realistic and their depictions of the Navy owe more to sports movies than the reality of the institution.

However, Goose and Iceman’s deaths were tragic scenes that worked well in otherwise upbeat summer blockbusters, and Maverick visiting their graves in the sequel could repeat this. Thus, Top Gun 3 can still fix Top Gun’s original ending thanks to Top Gun: Maverick.