When is Top Gun: Maverick coming to streaming services?

To the surprise of everyone (except perhaps leading man Tom Cruise), Top Gun: Maverick blew apart the global box office to become the biggest movie of 2022 (so far) and one of the most accomplished Hollywood sequels of all time. 

Director Joseph Kosinski’s action-packed tale of an aging flying ace won over critics and audiences alike – we gave the movie five stars in our glowing review – and served as a timely reminder that Marvel movies aren’t the only order of the day when it comes to contemporary big-screen success stories.

It’s no wonder, then, that Top Gun fans are eager to learn when they can enjoy the long-awaited return of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from the comfort of their own homes. And thankfully, after months of waiting, we’ve now got some concrete information to share. 

Top Gun: Maverick VOD release date

Top Gun: Maverick flew into theaters on May 27, 2022, but the film performed so well, for so long that Paramount opted to keep it playing in theaters until deep into October. 

Top Gun: Maverick became available to purchase on streaming services on August 23, 2022 – some 91 days after its theatrical debut. You can now buy the movie on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon and other VOD platforms for $19.99 /£13.99, which is a pretty good deal considering the download price of other blockbuster films in recent years. 

That post-theatrical release schedule is in keeping with Maverick’s Paramount stablemate, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which arrived on VOD platforms around three months after its release in cinemas. 

If you want to watch Top Gun: Maverick from a physical disc, the movie’s Blu-Ray release date rolled around on November 1, 2022, meaning it’s now available to purchase in most regions.

Ever the defender of the cinematic experience, the film’s star, Tom Cruise, wholeheartedly resisted the temptation to release Top Gun: Maverick straight onto streaming services following a spate of pandemic-related delays stretching right back to June 2019.  

Asked during the 2022 Cannes film festival whether he’d ever considered debuting the movie on streamers, Cruise simply said: “That’s not going to happen. Ever. I make movies for the big screen.” 

And boy, did the actor’s resistance pay off for Paramount. At the time of writing, Top Gun: Maverick has collected an almighty $1.45 billion at the global box office, a figure that puts the film 11th on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. In the years since the onset of the global pandemic, only Spider-Man: No Way Home has scooped more money. It’s no wonder, then, that Cruise and Paramount opted to extend Top Gun: Maverick’s theatrical run for as long as they did.

So, to clarify: while the movie is now available to purchase on several VOD streamers, Top Gun: Maverick is coming to Paramount Plus in the US, UK and Australia on December 22, 2022. 

Incidentally, Paramount Plus is now available in more regions than ever. The service recently launched in the UK, having debuted in the US last year, and costs $9.99 / £6.99 per month (or $4.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, if you’re in the US). 

In our opinion, though, Paramount Plus isn’t yet able to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus – and studio executives will be hoping that Top Gun: Maverick changes that reality come December.