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'Top Gun: Maverick': Should Tom Cruise-starrer get the franchise treatment?

For now, the film is best suited to finish off with a signature Maverick fly-by

'Top Gun' was a blockbuster in 1986. The heady action drama starring Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, and Kelly McGillis went on to gain cult status over the next couple of decades. Now, 'Top Gun: Maverick' sees the return of Cruise and Kilmer with a slew of new faces, and has already received rave reviews from critics. And as the sequel gears up for a premiere in the US on May 27, questions about a potential third installment have already been doing the rounds. Does 'Top Gun' deserve to be a franchise? If so, at what part can it call curtains, and most importantly, can it bring the charm of the OG flick with every movie?

There have been speculations about Maverick's death in the sequel, but a third installment seems unnecessary irrespective of how his character ends. The upcoming sequel does introduce a new, but pivotal character in Rooster (Miles Teller), who plays the son of Mav's old pal and partner, Goose (Edwards). But the question is if there is enough rooster and Cruise to merit a 'Top Gun 3'.

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There are reasons why 'Top Gun' should and shouldn't deserve a franchise. The latter makes sense considering the fact that both movies are hits, and the necessary story arcs are rounded up. An epilogue of sorts could see how things end for the characters. Things become tricky when the sequel opts to make a third and probably a fourth and fifth movie as well depending on the story they want to tell. The biggest challenge will be maintaining the elements that made the movie a hit in the first place. Or, there is a possibility of a reboot — which is not easy either.

While reboots and franchise-style treatments have been common over the years, not all of them lived up to expectations. A rather good example is Will Smith's 'Independence Day' which saw Roland Emmerich return to make a sequel starring Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum in key roles. 'Independence Day: Resurgence' was a massive box office failure and that will be the route 'Top Gun' might look to avoid if they do indeed plan more movies to spawn a franchise. For now, the film is best suited to finish off with a signature Maverick fly-by. It's pretty much the 'quit-while-you're-ahead' policy here.

'Top Gun: Maverick' releases May 27 in the US.