Top Gun: Maverick hits UK Netflix on 22 September, still Cruise's only billion-dollar film
Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick is finally landing on a new streaming home soon, with the exact date now set — but which platform’s secured it?
If you somehow managed to miss Top Gun: Maverick at the cinema, or you never caught it on its previous streaming rounds, well, you’ve got another shot—no cheeky excuses this time. It’s been a long four years since Tom Cruise and his iconic aviators staged one of the industry’s biggest comebacks, but now the 2022 blockbuster is set to land on Netflix in the UK from 22 September 2026.
Top Gun: Maverick lands on Netflix on 22 September 2026.
This sequel finally answered the big “Will Cruise do it?” question, and he went all-in: we’re talking high-G stunts and emotional baggage flying at you faster than a missile lock. Director Joseph Kosinski helmed it, using a script cobbled together by Ehren Kruger, Eric Singer and Christopher McQuarrie, working from an initial story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. The film originally premiered in cinemas in May 2022, and the buzz was immediate—fans and critics both lapped it up.
The Plot, Cast, and Cinematic Muscle
In case you need a refresher: Cruise returns as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, back in the cockpit after decades to train a new bunch of elite Navy pilots. The action’s not just a nostalgia kick, though—there’s a real emotional thread, largely thanks to young pilot Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (yep, Goose’s son from the original). That’s no easy dynamic; Maverick’s past with Rooster keeps things messy, and if you’ve ever seen a Cruise film before, you know he practically bathes in high-stakes drama. The film leans hard into themes of mentorship and redemption, but still manages seat-rattling action that’s worth every decibel.
Jennifer Connelly turns up as Penny Benjamin, giving Maverick a new romantic subplot (if you’re keeping track). The supporting cast is pretty stacked: Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Val Kilmer (a genuinely moving return), and Charles Parnell all do solid work, both in and out of the flight suit.
Big Numbers and Colossal Reception
It wasn’t just a critical darling—it absolutely obliterated the box office, pulling in roughly $1.5 billion globally. That made it, no small feat, Tom Cruise’s biggest film ever in terms of cash brought in. It was only the second film since the COVID pandemic to break the billion-dollar mark, following hot on the vapour trails of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Review-wise, Top Gun: Maverick still boasts an almost silly level of acclaim: a 96% critic rating and a 99% audience score over on Rotten Tomatoes. Now it’s moving onto Netflix, ready for anyone who fancies a streaming rewatch—or to finally see what the fuss was about after dodging spoilers since 2022.