Nearly a year after the film's record-breaking success, Tom Cruise reflects on the decision for Top Gun: Maverick to be delayed over and over again. Cruise spent over a decade working to try and get a Top Gun sequel off the ground, first partnering with original director Tony Scott prior to his death before ultimately turning to Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski to direct on a script co-written by his longtime Mission: Impossible collaborator Christopher McQuarrie. Initially set for a July 2019 release, Top Gun: Maverick was delayed nearly three years before hitting theaters.

https://screenrant.com/top-gun-maverick-release-delays-tom-cruise-defense/