Great balls of fire, you can stream the Top Gun movies on Paramount+ now! Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are available to stream with a subscription, so grab your aviators, and get ready to ride into the danger zone with Maverick (Tom Cruise), Goose (Anthony Edwards), Rooster (Miles Teller), and more.
If you are looking for a quintessential summer-movie franchise that has plenty of action, top-notch actors, and doesn’t shy away from emotion, the Top Gun saga, starring Tom Cruise, is the perfect streaming binge for you. Keep reading to learn where to stream the films, the viewing order, what each movie is about, and whether there will be additional films in the future.
Key facts
- Genre: Action/drama
- Released by: Paramount Pictures
- Top Gun released: May 16, 1986
- Top Gun: Maverick released: May 27, 2022
- Streaming: Paramount+
- Best viewing order: Release order (1986 → 2022)
Where to watch the movies
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are both available to stream on Paramount+. One service, both movies: how can you beat that? You can watch the films with either the Paramount+ Essential or the Paramount+ Premium plan. Plans start at $8.99 a month. This is a good moment; let’s not ruin it. Go and watch both films back-to-back pronto.
Which movie should you watch first?
When it comes to the Top Gun franchise, you should definitely watch in release order. You’ve got to start with the 1985 classic, the original Top Gun, starring a young and energetic Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Then, when the runway is clear, you are ready for takeoff with Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise as an older and wiser Maverick and Miles Teller as Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw.
It is very important to learn the characters and their relationships in the beginning. Seeing how Maverick goes from a young, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants pilot to a seasoned vet with some edge is essential when viewing these films. You also get to know Maverick’s wingman, Goose (Anthony Edwards), whose lineage plays an important part in the second movie. And lastly, the emotional payoff is stronger when you view in release order. So rules are rules, watch the films in this order please:
- Top Gun (1985)
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
What the movies are about
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Your dutiful guide is here, and ready to give you a rundown of two great movies that will take your breath away.
Top Gun (1986)
A hotshot fighter pilot named Maverick (Tom Cruise) and his partner Goose (Anthony Edwards) enter the Top Gun Navy Fighter Weapons School to refine their flying skills. Maverick clashes with a fellow classmate named Iceman (Val Kilmer), has a heated romance with his flight instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis), and experiences a heartbreaking tragedy while training to be the best of the best, one of the Navy’s elite pilots.
WATCH NOW: Top Gun
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
After thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Maverick (Tom Cruise) is back to lead a group of Top Gun graduates on a special assignment. Maverick must face the ghost of his past when Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) joins the class, the son of his late partner Goose. He must push past his feelings and train Rooster, along with Hangman (Glen Powell), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Bob (Lewis Pullman), and other graduates, for a risky mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice.
WATCH NOW: Top Gun: Maverick
Why the franchise still resonates
The Top Gun franchise is a military/action story that still resonates today. The films boast extraordinary casts, memorable soundtrack, exhilarating stunt work and aerial footage, and a story that will pull at the heartstrings and send your pulse racing with emotional storytelling and mind-blowing action.
It is very rare that a franchise separated by decades can still capture the magic of the original, but Top Gun: Maverick successfully did by honoring the original while appealing to a new audience. It also rocked at the box office and introduced a whole new generation of fans to the magic of green jumpsuits, white t-shirts, mustaches, and the fastest man on earth: Maverick.
What’s next for the franchise?
Tom Cruise is heading back into the danger zone for Top Gun 3, officially announced by Paramount in April at CinemaCon. Top Gun: Maverick was a blockbuster hit, grossing $1.5 billion at the box office, and Maverick will be back at it again with a third film.
Start streaming today
Now is the time to experience the Top Gun franchise all in one place, Paramount+. Start with the ‘80s classic Top Gun, and fly with Tom Cruise right into the sequel Top Gun: Maverick. In the iconic words of Maverick: “Trust your instincts, don’t think, just do,” and go watch the Top Gun franchise today.
FAQ
Is Top Gun: Maverick a sequel?
Yes, Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel set 30 years after the original, and follows Maverick later in his career.
Can I watch Top Gun: Maverick without seeing the first movie?
Honestly, you can watch Top Gun: Maverick without seeing the first movie, but you will miss out on so much backstory that is key in the second film. Also, you will be missing out on a cult classic and one of Tom Cruise’s best movies.
How many Top Gun movies are there?
There are currently two released films: Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. There is a third installment officially in development; the release date has not yet been announced.
Are both movies on Paramount+?
Yes, both Top Gun movies are available to stream on Paramount+ now.
WATCH NOW: Top Gun
WATCH NOW: Top Gun: Maverick
Availability of titles is subject to change.
