Top Gun: Maverick sure looks to be an audience pleaser. Our own Mike Ryan reveals that the blockbuster sequel reeled him in and is now one of his favorite movies ever. And nearly every other critic feels similarly. In other words, everyone will be feeling the need for speed very soon, and prepare to have your breath taken away.
That was already the case with a recent trailer, so it’s nice to know there’s some real truth in movie advertising these days. And that trailer also revealed that Val Kilmer’s Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazanzky is the guy who brought Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell back into the fold. All that old-school tension should be enjoyable to revisit, and Tom has now also revealed that he was the guy guy brought Kilmer into the sequel fold. As Cruise recounted while speaking with Entertainment Tonight (after hopping out of a helicopter at San Diego’s USS Midway Museum for the film’s premiere), he went in hard for more Iceman.
“I really rallied hard for him to make the movie,” Cruise told ET. He then alluded to a dramatic scene between Maverick and Iceman while gushing about Kilmer. “The kind of talent that he has, and you see that scene, it’s very special, it’s just very special.”
Via People, Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer previously told the world that he was also thrilled to see Val make a grand return. He also confirmed that Tom was the one who really did the thing. “He was the driving force,” Bruckheimer declared. “We all wanted him, but Tom was really adamant that if he’s going to make another Top Gun, Val had to be in it.”
Top Gun: Maverick soars into theaters on May 24.