Here’s how much Tom Cruise made for Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise‘s name has become synonymous with high-flying action and box-office success, and his return to the cockpit in Top Gun: Maverick was highly anticipated by fans worldwide. While the 2022 film was known for its adrenaline-pumping thrills, another aspect that garnered considerable attention about the sequel is Cruise’s paycheck for reprising his breakout role as Maverick 36 years after the original movie. Read on to find out how much the actor earned for the second installment in the Top Gun franchise.

How much did Tom Cruise make for Top Gun: Maverick?

Upfront Salary: While the exact amount isn’t publicly known, reports suggest he received a base salary between $12 million and $14 million, which is considered modest for his star power.

Backend Deals: The bigger chunk of his earnings likely came from backend deals, which give him a percentage of the film’s profits. Reports suggest he gets over 10% of the first dollar gross, meaning he earns money after theaters take their cut. With Top Gun: Maverick becoming a massive box office success, this percentage translated to a significant sum, pushing his total earnings past the $100 million mark.

How much did Tom Cruise make for 1986’s Top Gun?

Tom Cruise earned a salary of $2 million for his role in the original 1986 Top Gun movie. That equates to roughly $5.6 million in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation. While a healthy sum at the time, it pales in comparison to the multi-million dollar deals he commands today, especially considering the success of the sequel.

How much did Top Gun: Maverick earn at the box office?

Top Gun: Maverick soared at the box office, grossing a whopping $1.496 billion worldwide. This impressive sum translates to $718.7 million domestically (North America) and $777 million Internationally.  This massive ticket sales success made it the second-highest-grossing film of 2022 and the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career.

What is Top Gun: Maverick about?

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun, and it follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) over 30 years after his time at the elite Navy fighter pilot school. Despite being a decorated test pilot, Maverick avoids promotion which would ground him. He thrives on pushing the envelope and remains one of the Navy’s top aviators.

Reluctantly, Maverick is assigned back to Top Gun as an instructor tasked with training a new generation of elite fighter pilots. One of the trainees is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend and copilot Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). This forces Maverick to confront past choices and lingering grief.

The film revolves around a dangerous and specialized mission that these pilots are trained for, one that demands the ultimate sacrifice and tests Maverick’s courage and skills.

Who are the cast of Top Gun: Maverick?

Top Gun: Maverick features a mix of familiar faces from the original film and new characters. Here are some of the key cast members:

• Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
• Miles Teller portrays Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late best friend Goose.
• Jennifer Connelly plays Penny Benjamin, Maverick’s love interest and a single mother who runs a bar.
• Jon Hamm takes on the role of Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson, the commander of Naval Air Forces.
• Glen Powell portrays LT Jake “Hangman” Seresin, a talented but cocky F/A-18E pilot and one of Maverick’s trainees.
• Ed Harris appears as Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain, Maverick’s superior and head of the Darkstar program.
• Val Kilmer stars as Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, a close friend and former rival of Maverick.

How much did Tom Cruise make for his Mission Impossible movies?

Aside from the Top Gun movies, Tom Cruise is also known for starring in the Mission Impossible franchise.

Here’s a breakdown of Cruise’s estimated earnings for each Mission: Impossible movie, considering both upfront salary and backend deals:

Mission: Impossible (1996):  Information about his exact earnings isn’t publicly available, but it’s likely he received a high salary at the time,  possibly in the range of  $7 million to $10 million.

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000): This is an outlier.  Cruise reportedly made a very high $75 million, likely due to a unique backend deal where he received a significant percentage of the film’s profits.  The movie became the highest-grossing film of 2000, making this deal very lucrative for him.

Mission: Impossible III (2006):  Specific details are unknown, but estimates suggest his earnings were likely in the $20 million to $30 million range, reflecting his increased star power and the franchise’s success.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011):  While the exact amount isn’t confirmed, reports suggest a base salary of around $12 million,  supplemented by a backend deal.  Total earnings could have been in the $50 million to $70 million range due to the film’s box office success.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015):  Similar to Ghost Protocol, his salary was likely around $12 million to $14 million, with a backend deal potentially pushing his total earnings to $40 million to $60 million.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018):  Estimates suggest his combined earnings might have reached $100 million due to a combination of a base salary (around $20 million) and a substantial backend deal fueled by the film’s strong performance.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023):  Specific details are still emerging, but reports suggest a base salary of $12 million to $14 million.  Given the film’s box office success, his backend deal could again significantly boost his total earnings.

While exact figures can be elusive, it’s safe to say Cruise has likely earned well over $300 million from the entire Mission: Impossible franchise  thanks to both upfront salaries and his lucrative backend deals.

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