Tom Cruise, who starred in Maverick, talks about his tearful reunion with Iceman actor Val Kilmer while they were filming the Academy Award-nominated prequel.
Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise talks about his touching reunion with Iceman star Val Kilmer while filming the follow-up. The 1986 sequel to Top Gun, which was directed by Joseph Kosinski, was a box office smash and received six nominations for the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Although Kilmer's battle with throat cancer raised questions about whether he would return to reprise his role as Iceman in the sequel, the movie incorporated Kilmer's illness into the character and created its most powerful scene when Iceman informs Maverick (Cruise) that the Navy is on the verge of disbanding Need Maverick.
Considering how long their friendship has lasted, Cruise reflected on how easily Kilmer was able to get back into character and play that sequence, adding heart to the entire process.
How Top Gun: Maverick Honors The Founder
Top Gun: Maverick includes a wide array of newer characters, such as Miles Teller's Rooster and Glen Powell's Hangman, but it also has numerous nods to the first Top Gun, making it the ideal legacy sequel. Many legacy sequels mix new and old characters while mindlessly repeating the same plot beats from the first work. Top Gun: Maverick, on the other hand, honors the original's essence and demonstrates to a younger audience what a huge classic the first installment was.
The new trailer for #TopGun is here. See you at the theater. pic.twitter.com/QTdfWNeTzc
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) March 29, 2022
Due to Kilmer's health issues and the fact that it is a long overdue on-screen reunion, the scene between Maverick and Iceman is especially emotional. Maverick and Iceman were adversaries in the first movie until Goose's passing compelled them to cooperate. The follow-up demonstrates how they have developed as people, remained in touch for years, and also became closer as friends. Given how close they have been, Maverick breaks down when it is revealed that Iceman is dying, which makes the moment even more impactful.I couldn't ask for a better wingman than @BRUCKHEIMERJB. #TopGunDay pic.twitter.com/FA1LT7h7qd
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) May 13, 2022
It's a satisfying full-circle moment that not only honors the movie's lasting influence on a generation of viewers but also provides closure for initial admirers. Hollywood has produced a lot of legacy sequels throughout the years, but most of them haven't had much of an influence. In addition to bringing consumers back to theaters, Top Gun: Maverick also brought together two generations of moviegoers over a sequel that introduced new characters and more elaborate action setpieces while never forgetting how influential the first film was for so many people. That may have contributed to Top Gun: Maverick's box office success and numerous Academy Award nominations.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live/ twitter/TomCruise
