Tom Cruise To Return For "Top Gun" Sequel The actor tweeted a teaser photo to mark the first day of production for the highly anticipated sequel. Top Gun: Maverick is set in modern times and follows fighter pilots dealing with drone technology making them obsolete. Cruise will return as the character Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, the role that made him a superstar in 1986. TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski will direct the film. Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the original, will return for the sequel. Top Gun: Maverick is set to hit theaters on July 12, 2019.