Seeing as how the current film industry is built strictly on reboots, sequels, and spinoffs, it’s only natural that someone at some point would dream up the idea of a sequel to 1986’s vaguely homoerotic Air Force blockbuster, Top Gun. The Guardian reports that, in a recent interview promoting a totally different sequel—the new Terminator movie—Top Gun‘s producer David Ellison confirmed that Top Gun 2 is in the works and they are gunning for Tom Cruise to reprise his role as everyone’s favorite smartass, Maverick. “There is no Top Gun without Maverick,” David Ellison said.

A lot has changed in the world of aerial warfare since the original Top Gun, though. “When you look at the world of dogfighting,” Ellison continued, “…it’s not a world that exists to the same degree [as] when the original movie came out.” The new film will tackle the Air Force’s new reliance on unmanned drones, exploring “the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots.”

Does that mean the sequel’s plot will be some sort of John Henry-esque tale of an aging Maverick coming out of retirement to go head-to-head in a battle royale of man versus drone? Drones may be the fighter planes of the future, but they will never look as good glistening with sweat and patting asses on the volleyball court.

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