Hangman being Iceman's son perfectly explains nearly every element of Top Gun: Maverick's plot and surrounding secrecy. While this theory has been around for a while, the reveal that Iceman is the one who wants Maverick to return further solidifies this popular narrative idea.
Hangman being Iceman's son and not Maverick's also works better thematically for Top Gun: Maverick. In the sequel, Maverick hasn't seemed to change; he continues to live in the past — even jeopardizing his own career as implied by his failure to move up the Navy ladder despite his brilliant flying skills.
According to Glen Powell, Hangman earned his call sign from his reputation of "always leaving you out to dry", although his character originally had the call sign Slayer, which Howell changed on advice from real Navy pilots. (via Cinemablend).
However, explicitly showing Hangman getting reprimanded for taking the risk would complete his setup as the new Maverick. Though the movie focuses heavily on Maverick's relationship with his old wingman's son, Maverick's real successor is Hangman from the very beginning.
Having Hangman be Iceman's son further explains why Iceman wants Maverick to come back now. While they bickered early in the film, the two pilots formed a close bond by the end of the original Top Gun.
Rooster's parents are Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) and Carole Bradshaw (Meg Ryan). In the first "Top Gun," Goose is a radar intercept officer in the US Navy who works alongside Maverick at the TOPGUN flight school.
Among Maverick's (Tom Cruise) trainees is a sly, charismatic pilot nicknamed “Hangman” (Glen Powell). Hangman essentially fills the same role that Iceman did in the original film; he picks on Rooster (Miles Teller), adding a sense of competition to Maverick's selection process. Hangman isn't just a duplicate of Iceman.
According to the New York Times, Top Gun: Maverick's original script also had Hangman later say it stood for "Big ol' balls," while Outkast's iconic anthem “B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)” could also have inspired the callsign.
Iceman's Radar Intercept Officer and partner in crime, Ron “Slider” Kerner is often a thorn in the side of Maverick and Goose, as the battle for who is in Top Gun increases in stakes, even during a game of beach volleyball.
Not only that, but one canny viewer noted that the coffin is adorned with a winged metal pin, meaning its inhabitant was involved with the Naval School Topgun during their life. With so much evidence piling up, the odds of survival aren't looking good for Iceman.
As Maverick begins to have doubts that he can train his team in time for the mission, Iceman summons him to his house to give him a pep talk. It is revealed that Iceman is dying of cancer and types out most of the conversation with Maverick, summoning the strength to speak in an emotional moment.
Hangman was easily the best flier during the training segment of the movie, being the one person who actually enjoyed the challenge of the seemingly impossible mission.
Hangman saves Maverick and Rooster by shooting down the 5th Gen fighter and thus saving the day. However, I believe the reason he was scrambled was to protect the carrier. I'm assuming that if enemy aircraft are dangerously close to a ship or fleet, then fighters are scrambled to intercept.
Multiple surgeries left him able to speak only by plugging a tracheostomy tube in his throat, which he often drapes over with scarves, just as his character does in Top Gun: Maverick.
The seemingly unassuming yet undeniably popular name Bob is a boy's name of British origin. Bob comes from the Germanic name Robert and means “bright” and “fame.” During the Middle Ages, shortening and rhyming names was the trend, with names like Rob, Dob, and Hob also stemming from Robert.
Val Kilmer's Iceman character in Top Gun: Maverick has minimal dialogue due to the real-life impact of his battle with throat cancer. The actor communicates through an artificial voice box, adding emotional depth to his appearance.
Stop the Shark - a hangman alternative is a more politically friendly version of the traditional game hangman. Stop the Shark plays just like the traditional game, but instead of drawing a hanged man stick figure for each wrong guess, a shark eats a fish.
Looking at Top Gun through that lens, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky is clearly a better pilot than the hotshot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Following Iceman's death in the sequel, if Top Gun 3 pushes through, someone else is bound to step up and challenge Maverick to be known as the best TOPGUN pilot.
Top Gun is known for its over-the-top, glossy, high-flying portrayal of the military and its Topgun program. However, the most pivotal scene in the movie isn't one of heroic action but of human tragedy. Paul "Maverick" Mitchell's radar intercept officer (Rio), Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, dies in a training flight accident.
After meeting with Maverick, one of the saddest moments in Top Gun: Maverick is when it's revealed that Iceman has succumbed to his illness. While Kilmer's character won't be returning for a prospective third film in the franchise, it's less clear whether Cruise's hotshot pilot will be making a comeback.
After their confrontation prior to the mission, Rooster let go of his resentment towards Maverick, which allowed him to be open to the latter's critique that if “[he] thought up there, [he would be] dead.” Embracing this advice led Rooster to rescue Maverick, ultimately saving the day.
Hangman is the only standby alert F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to be activated during the mission. At the start of "Top Gun: Maverick", Hangman is the only current generation aviator to have a confirmed air combat kill since Maverick's three kills in Top Gun.
In Top Gun, Bradley was portrayed by child actors and identical twins, Aaron and Adam Weis. Instead of either of them, Fantastic Four star, Miles Teller, was cast as the son of Maverick's co-pilot, Goose (Anthony Edwards).
