Posted in: Movies, Paramount Pictures | Tagged: , , , ,

Top Gun: Marverick Star Tom Cruise Fought for Val Kilmer's Return

Published
by
|
Comments

It's been 35 years since the 1986 original Tony Scott-directed Top Gun. When interest began in a sequel that would become Top Gun: Maverick, star Tom Cruise, who plays Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, was adamant his rival Iceman, played by Val Kilmer, also return to the danger zone. Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced both, spoke to People about the upcoming Paramount film.

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986)
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"[Tom] said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,'" Bruckheimer said. "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's such a fine actor, and he's such a good individual. We had such a good time on the first one and wanted to bring some of the gang back together again." The reunion between Cruise and Kilmer was certainly one for the ages.

"It was a really emotional experience for all of us," Bruckheimer said. "It was a long time getting there, but we did." "They honor the legacy of Iceman, and [Val] was so stoked by it," Kilmer's son, Jack, added, recalling his time with his sister, Mercedes, on the San Diego set. "They were coming up to us and telling us that the first Top Gun inspired them to join the Navy and the Air Force. Then we had these big F-bomb planes flying overhead. It was like one of the proudest moments of being American that you could think of, really."

Kilmer, who's battling throat cancer, chronicled his life and career in the upcoming autobiographical documentary Val. He wrote in his memoir I'm Your Huckleberry upon hearing of the upcoming sequel. "He was calling it Top Gun: Maverick. Well, Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper. It didn't matter that the producers didn't contact me. As the Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, 'ain't too proud to beg.'" The film comes to theaters on November 19.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!

Tom ChangAbout Tom Chang

I'm a follower of pop culture from gaming, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and TV for over 30 years. I grew up reading magazines like Starlog, Mad, and Fangoria. As a writer for over 10 years, Star Wars was the first sci-fi franchise I fell in love with. I'm a nerd-of-all-trades.
twitterfacebookinstagramwebsite
Comments will load 20 seconds after page. Click here to load them now.