Tom Cruise Was the Biggest Driving Force in Val Kilmer Returning for TOP GUN: MAVERICK
The sequel to the classic 1986 movie Top Gun has been a long time coming. Fans have been hoping for a second movie for quite some time, so when Top Gun: Maverick was announced, everyone got pumped to see what would the next movie would entail, and who would return to star in it from the original, excluding the obvious (R.I.P. Goose).
Tom Cruise is the obvious star who no one would care to see a sequel without, but another one of the major players that fans can’t wait to see on screen is Val Kilmer back in the role of Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. And while fans and the creators of the film were hoping to see him return to the film, it turns out that Cruise was the biggest driving force in getting Kilmer involved.
In a recent interview with People, producer Jerry Bruckheimer explained:
“He said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film. And he was the driving force. 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.”
He went on to talk about the reunion, saying:
“It was a really emotional experience for all of us. It was a long time getting there, but we did.”
No kidding it took a long time! But we are almost there now. After more than two years of delays due to the pandemic, we are less than three months from opening night of this epic sequel. I’m so glad Cruise and Kilmer are reuniting for the film, and I can’t wait to see it!
Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters on November 19th.