After a year of development, Top Gun 3 is not quite ready for takeoff. Jay Ellis, who plays Lt. Reuben ‘Payback’ Fitch in Top Gun: Maverick, recently gave an update on the third installment, which was Deadline reported was in the works at Paramount in January 2024.

Ellis portrayed Reuben “Payback” Fitch in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, which was based on the original 1986 film with Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. In Maverick, Cruise’s titular character showed Ellis, Miles Teller, Glen Powell and more the aviation ropes.

Jay Ellis has said Tom Cruise and Ehren Kruger are “still working on the script” for the sequel to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. The development follows the massive success of the previous film, which grossed over $1.49 billion worldwide.

The wait for Top Gun 3 continues, but according to Jay Ellis, the wheels are still turning behind the scenes. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards, Ellis

Jay Ellis, who plays Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch in 'Top Gun: Maverick', recently gave an update on the third instalment."So here's what the story's going to be. It's going to be Payback. No, no," he said,