Although oneTop Gun: Maverickstar says that he is unlikely to return inTop Gun 3, this is surprisingly good news for the sequel. Not every star ofTop Gunreturned inTop Gun: Maverick, but this did not stop the sequel from becoming one of 2022’s most acclaimed blockbusters. ByTop Gun: Maverick’s ending, it was clear that an appearance from Tom Skerritt or Meg Ryan reprising their respectiveTop Gunsupporting roles would not have made the successful sequel any stronger.
Not only wasTop Gun: Maverick’s Iceman/ Maverick reunion perfectalready, but the absence of some supporting stars just served to highlight how much time had passed since the original movie ended. In the world ofTop Gun: Maverick, it truly felt like 36 years had gone by since Maverick’s last adventure, and the regrets accumulated in that time were etched on the face of Tom Cruise’s antihero. As such, the news thatTop Gun 3’s storyis likely to jettison one character fromTop Gun: Maverickisn’t as worrying as it might initially seem.
Ed Harris Said Chester “Hammer” Cain Is Unlikely To Appear In Top Gun 3
Top Gun: Maverick’s Minor Villain Was Maverick’s Superior
In an interview with the Irish entertainment outletJoe.ie,Top Gun: Mavericksupporting star Ed Harris said that he doubted he would return to the role of Chester “Hammer” Cain in the sequel. Per Harris, “I don’t see why they would ask me,” although the actor was in good spirits and laughed while making the comment. Promoting his new releaseLong Day’s Journey Into Night, Harris said that he “Doubted” the creators of the sequel would need his services again.
Not only is it easy to imagine a version of Top Gun 3without Harris’s Chester “Hammer” Cain, but Harris might even be right to suggest that the sequel doesn’t need him.Harris’s shouty senior officer was a memorable presence inTop Gun: Maverickas the screen veteran played a commanding officer who chewed Maverick out for disobeying orders. Cain’s role proved that, no matter how long Maverick aged, Cruise’s antihero still retained his anti-establishment spirit.
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Although Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller and director Joseph Kosinski worked together again only weeks later, the result was not a major hit.
This was pivotal since, as bothTop GunandTop Gun: Maverick’s villainsare nameless and faceless, Maverick’s superiors end up playing major roles in both movies. Their reprimands and Maverick’s reactions to them are a major part of his story, as his infamous need for speed clashes with the safety-conscious senior officers who disapprove of his risky flying. Although Iceman does Maverick a favor and steps in before Cain can discharge him, Jon Hamm’s Beau “Cyclone” Simpson soon replaces Cain as the next disapproving senior officer to swiftly get sick of Maverick’s unorthodox antics.
Maverick Doesn’t Need Another Stern Superior In Top Gun 3
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick Both Repeated This Approach
While there had been sometheories that Cain could beTop Gun 3’s villain,Harris’s conviction that he is unlikely to appear may be good news, as this means the sequel is unlikely to repeat Maverick’s familiar story for a third time. Although it can’t repeatTop Gun: Maverick’s ingenious opening credits trick, the sequel could otherwise largely rehash the same story as its two predecessors. The problem is that this plot would inevitably feel more tired and overused a third time around.
Top Gun 3shouldn’t bring back Maverick’s stern superiors, but should instead turn him into the commanding officer doing the shouting.
Viewers have seen a young, fiery Maverick rebel against the Navy high command and, thanks toTop Gun: Maverick, the audience has also witnessed an older, wiser, and more embittered version of the character take on the top brass and win again in the sequel. Maverick needs to go on a new, original journey inTop Gun 3for the sequel to feel like more than a mere retread of its predecessors. As such,Top Gun 3shouldn’t bring back Maverick’s stern superiors, but should instead turn him into the commanding officer doing the shouting.
Top Gun 3 Should Make Maverick The New Superior
Tom Cruise’s Character Is Overdue A Promotion
Top Gun: Maverickhinted at this shift when Maverick struggled to teach recruits like Rooster, Hangman, and Phoenix. However, afterTop Gun: Maverick’s risky test run, even Simpson had to admit that Maverick needed to be the mission leader. As such, Maverick went back to his usual role as a pilot instead of remaining a teacher.
InTop Gun 3’s story, Maverick should be the one reining in pilots like Hangman and Rooster, forcing him to reflect on his history of risky flying and consider the legacy he left in the eponymous school.
Cruise’s character deserves a promotion and, moreover, it would also be interesting to see how he responds to being the authority figure for once, instead of the rebel. InTop Gun 3’s story, Maverick should be the one reining in pilots like Hangman and Rooster, forcing him to reflect on his history of risky flying and consider the legacy he left in the eponymous school. This would be the most interesting and unexpected story forTop Gun 3to tell, meaningTop Gun: Maverick’s supporting star might be right to say he doesn’t need to appear again in the sequel.
