Tim Robbins pushed back on the claim that he turned down reprising his “Top Gun” role for the 2022 sequel, saying he “did not receive a call” from producer Jerry Bruckheimer about returning.
During a Thursday appearance on “Happy Sad Confused,” the Oscar winner, who played Merlin opposite Tom Cruise in the 1986 action drama, addressed his absence from “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Specifically, when asked by host Josh Horowitz whether he was asked back for the follow-up film, Robbins noted he never got a call about it.
“I’ve known Jerry for years. I have played occasionally in his hockey game out in in L.A.,” Robbins said. “I like him. He’s a great guy. I did not receive a call.”
He continued: “However, I heard an interview where he said he did call and then I turned it down. But, that could have been just projection.”
Robbins quipped that his agents could’ve responded on his behalf, possibly telling Bruckheimer, “There’s no way he’s going to do this.”
“Or it could have been just them knowing I wouldn’t have done it,” he added.
When pushed by Horowitz to confirm if that’s really how he felt, Robbins noted, “I don’t think so. I did like the movie. I thought it was good. I love Tom, so you know, I might have done it. Who knows?”
Watch Robbins’ comments below.
Robbins’ remarks come over four months after Paramount’s Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein confirmed at CinemaCon that “Top Gun 3” was officially in active development.
While no specifics were shared about the movie, it was noted that Cruise was set to return as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
Talks regarding a possible “Top Gun 3” surfaced not long after the global success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” which earned nearly $1.5 billion at the box office. Joseph Kosinski directed “Top Gun: Maverick,” with a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.
In addition to Cruise, the movie starred Miles Teller as Rooster, the son of Maverick’s late wingman Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. The film also saw Val Kilmer, who died in April 2025, reprise his role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.
The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Film Editing.
