Could the heavy fleet-defence fighter return?

Could an F-14-style heavy fighter return to defend fleets against long-range anti-ship missiles?

Possibly, although as a new design rather than a revived Tomcat, because future long-range missiles and laser systems may demand a large payload carrier.

The Tomcat itself is unlikely to return, but a new heavy fighter could meet a similar requirement. Large long-range weapons and the weight of early laser systems could favor an aircraft able to carry more payload than a conventional fighter. The historical F-14 mission paired a powerful radar with very long-range AIM-54 Phoenix missiles so threats could be intercepted before reaching the carrier group. A future design could revive that fleet-defence logic without reproducing the Tomcat airframe.