Val Kilmer Talks About What It Was Like to Return to the Role of Iceman in TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Top Gun: Maverick was a great movie. It paid homage to the original film, told a solid story, and blew audiences away with the action and spectacle of it all. One of the best parts of the film was the return of the character Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer. Some fans were unsure of the capacity in which he would return to the play the role, as Kilmer has battled throat cancer in years past. Tom Cruise was adamant that Kilmer had to come back to complete the story, and Kilmer wanted to make it happen as well. So the story also unfolded saying that Iceman had cancer, and he mostly used a computer to communicate, as well as a technology to help him with the dialogue that was spoken.

Kilmer spoke out about seeing the final product, and how it felt making the project, telling USA Today:

"I was very moved the first time I saw it. Almost 40 years is a long time for a reunion. We laughed all day. Tom is great and surprisingly funny!"

The film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, told Inside Total Film podcast (via gamesradar) that working with Kilmer was a "dream come true," saying:

"To do it with him playing Iceman and to be able to do it in a scene where he and Tom are together, two people who have so much respect for each other, and to have it be a reunion of not only two characters, but two men in real life… [It was a] really emotional day, a really memorable day on set."

It was definitely a momentous scene that added a lot to the movie. Top Gun: Maverick is already Tom Cruise’s biggest film opening to date, which is saying a lot for the blockbuster-making star. The movie is still in theaters, and it’s a real treat to see on the big screen, so make sure you check it out if you haven’t already.