Top Gun: Maverick – Here Is How Much Tom Cruise Earned From the Sequel

It’s well known by now how successful Top Gun: Maverick was at the global box office. The sequel to Top Gun earned nearly $1.5 billion. This feat made the movie the second-highest-performing of 2022, second only to Avatar: The Way of Water. Tom Cruise came back to play Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, 36 years after the original movie. If you have wondered how much Tom Cruise took home for playing the iconic role again, here’s the amount.

Tom Cruise’s earnings for Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise has earned a significant amount of money, unparallel to what actors generally make in Hollywood. The actor earned over $100 million due to the box-office success of Top Gun: Maverick. Tom Cruise agreed to a $12.5 million upfront payment to reprise the role again. This deal also came with a clause for backend ticket sales, which depends on the success of the movie.

Forbes claims that “Cruise gets over 10% of the first dollar gross, which is based on the money Maverick distributor Paramount takes in after theatres get their cut, typically around 50%.” Calculating the movie’s success with these metrics, Cruise has earned over $100 million from Top Gun: Maverick.

Tom Cruise has been known to use his backend contract strategy, having previously earned $100 million from 2005’s War of the Worlds movie. The actor has also made similar deals for his new Mission: Impossible movies as well. He has reportedly taken somewhere between $12-14 million upfront for the movies, while hoping for similar success at the box office for these movies.