After first making a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in films like The Spectacular Now, the Divergent trilogy, That Awkward Moment, and Fantastic Four, Miles Teller experienced a resurgence in popularity following his scene-stealing performance in the 2022 blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick. The highly-buzzed-about sequel to the celebrated ’80s classic featured Teller teaming up with silver screen staple Tom Cruise’s test pilot and flight instructor Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he teaches a new group of ambitious Top Gun graduates.
Prior to Maverick, Teller famously appeared in two well-received but financially underwhelming films: Todd Phillips’ black crime comedy War Dogs and the war drama Thank You for Your Service. Let’s take a closer look at the war movies and how he finally landed a slam dunk at the box office by starring in Top Gun: Maverick.

Miles Teller’s Lackluster Track Record With War Films

Before he delivered a charismatic performance as Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in the summer blockbuster extravaganza Top Gun: Maverick, Miles Teller had to endure a few box-office bombs while on his epic journey to starring in the long-awaited sequel to the Tom Cruise ’80s classic. After gaining mainstream prominence following roles in the Divergent trilogy, Whiplash, That Awkward Moment, and the notorious superhero flop Fantastic Four, Teller decided to try his hand at the war genre and appeared alongside Jonah Hill in Todd Phillips’ black crime comedy War Dogs, a loose adaptation of the Rolling Stone article “Arms and the Dudes.”
In the engrossing flick, longtime friends-turned-arms dealers Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller) find themselves in deep water when they accept a lucrative $300 million U.S. Army contract to supply ammunitions to Afghan forces, as their newfound connections force the pair to do business with dangerous contacts and criminals. Featuring a talented supporting cast including Ana de Armas and Bradley Cooper and touting compelling performances by its two gifted leads, War Dogs grossed $86.2 million against a $40 million budget and earned a mixed response from critics due to its convoluted plot and unlikable characters.
Many agreed that the talents of both Teller and Hill were underutilized in War Dogs, and a year later The Gorge star collaborated with Jason Hall in his directorial debut Thank You for Your Service, a biographical war drama that highlighted Teller’s sensational range as a leading man. Based on the David Finkel book of the same name, the film explores the devastating effects of PTSD and the profound struggles U.S. soldiers face as they try to acclimate to civilian life. Teller appears as the decorated-yet-broken Staff Sergeant Adam Schumann, who, after serving in the Iraq War, is plagued by the horrors he endured during his deployment.
Thank You for Your Service garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for its powerful depiction of the anguishing effects of war, gripping storytelling, and Teller’s vulnerable performance, but it failed to make a splash at the box office and earned just $10 million during its theatrical run with a $20 million budget. Teller would experience a spectacular career resurgence five years later when he joined the silver-screen knockout Top Gun: Maverick, which dominated movie theaters all across the world.

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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Becomes a Critical & Commercial Triumph

36 years after the beloved 1986 classic first dazzled moviegoers and further skyrocketed lead star Tom Cruise to stardom, the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick soared its way into theaters on May 27, 2022, reuniting audiences with the fearless test pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In the rip-roaring action drama, the titular character returns to both train and prepare a new crop of young and ambitious Top Gun graduates for a thrilling high-stakes mission, with one of his students being Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Teller), the son of his late best friend Nick “Goose.”

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Top Gun: Maverick went on to rake in a whopping $1.496 billion at the box office and became the second highest-grossing movie of the year behind Avatar: The Way of Water. It also nabbed six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture (ultimately winning for Best Sound) while also being named Best Film by National Board of Review. Viewers were blown away by its electrifying visuals, root-worthy characters, and the winning dynamic between Cruise and Teller, with many deeming it superior to the original; The Daily Beast called it, “A summer spectacular that proves that there’s still life left in the old ways, all while stoking, and satisfying, that familiar need for speed.”
Due to the overwhelmingly positive critical and commercial response it received, a sequel to the blockbuster hit was announced to be in development in January 2024 with Tom Cruise set to return and Teller and Powell in talks to reprise their respective roles. Teller had previously revealed in May 2022 that he had pitched a follow-up film centering on his character, tentatively titled Top Gun: Rooster, to Paramount Pictures, though no details regarding the potential plot for the sequel have been confirmed.