Meg Ryan Was Not Asked to Return Top Gun: Maverick paid homage to its 1986 predecessor, but the film wasn't interested in bringing everything back from Maverick's past. Director Joseph Kosinski told Insider that the return of both Ryan and Kelly McGillis was never even considered during development.
"Those weren't stories that we were throwing around," Maverick director Joseph Kosinski told Insider of the actresses' absences. "I didn't want every storyline to always be looking backwards. It was important to introduce some new characters."
However, Charlie actress Kelly McGillis believes that there's a different explanation for not being called back for Top Gun: Maverick: her age and looks. "I'm old, and I'm fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about," she said in a 2019 interview.
How much did Val Kilmer get paid for Top Gun: Maverick?
Kilmer's pay for Top Gun: Maverick is disputed, with reports ranging from $400,000 to $2 million, but his return as Iceman was a small cameo and a role he was eager to take on. Kilmer's net worth is estimated at $25 million, thanks to his successful filmography and other ventures like writing a bestselling memoir.
Kelly McGillis' Brutally Honest Take On Her Top Gun: Maverick Exclusion
Is Penny the admiral's daughter?
In one scene, Maverick's past exploits are said to include "a history of high-speed passes over five air-control towers and one admiral's daughter," and Maverick's BFF Goose mutters Penny's name under his breath — making her the "admiral's daughter" in question.
Before being the central love interest in Top Gun: Maverick, Penny is actually mentioned in the original Top Gun, being one of Maverick's former love interests.
Did Val Kilmer do his own talking in Top Gun: Maverick?
Who made the Val Kilmer voice in "Top Gun: Maverick"? Sonantic, a pioneering voice technology firm, collaborated with Kilmer to produce the AI-rendered voice for his character in the film.
Tom Cruise's flying sequences in Top Gun: Maverick add to the excitement of the long-awaited sequel, as he actually flew in the film. The movie's ending, where Maverick and Rooster restore and fly a vintage P-51 Mustang, has a special meaning, as Cruise owns the same plane in real life.
Is Penny Benjamin in the Original "Top Gun"? Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, is not physically in the first "Top Gun" movie, but she does exist in it, though only mentioned in passing. She is never actually seen on screen.
Years before developing a reputation as a romantic comedy star, then-24-year-old Meg Ryan appeared in a minor role in Top Gun. Back then in 1986, the actress' Hollywood career had yet to take off. Meg Ryan's Top Gun character was Carole Bradshaw, wife of Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards).
In 2015, she released a five-song EP called Willing, and in 2017 she released an album titled "For My Folks", which features a collection of standards. Kelly appears as Sarah Kazansky - wife of Val Kilmer's character Tom "Iceman" Kazansky - in the 2022 action drama movie Top Gun: Maverick.
Is Penny's house in Maverick also Charlie's house in Top Gun? They both have charming homes by the sea in the San Diego area but they are different. Charlie's note to Maverick in Top Gun said she lived at 100 Laurel Beach – a bungalow that is now a pie shop and tourist attraction; Penny's house number is 391.
Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis in the original film, is notably absent in the sequel without any explanation. There are two possible explanations for McGillis' absence: the director's desire to introduce new characters and the industry's ageism towards older actresses.
being used to recreate Kilmer's voice. The fact that Val Kilmer can't speak in real life gives an even deeper meaning to Iceman's appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, rendering it a heart-warming tribute to his performance in the original film.
screenrant.com would disagree because they think it's Tom Skerritt's character, Viper. Jossed by new trailer footage - Maverick is seen hammering his Aviator wings into the casket lid.
Iceman : Maverick, it's not your flying, it's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now you're worse. Dangerous and foolish. You may not like who's flying with you, but whose side are you on?
Kilmer played Cruise's rival in the original TOP GUN, leading to fierce competition throughout the naval aviator training program. They reconcile towards the end of the movie when Cruise saves Kilmer's life, earning his respect. The two stars have remained friends since working on the original film in 1986.
After her wedding to Kilmer in 1988, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her film career and began using 'Joanne Whalley-Kilmer' as her professional SAG-AFTRA name.
The night before the mission, Maverick visits Penny in his ceremonial white uniform, presumably to say goodbye in case he doesn't make it back. With Maverick flying in the mission, there are now only five places left.
Maverick and Penny may have had a romantic relationship several times over the years but he is not Amelia's father. Her real father is out of the picture and Penny raises her daughter as a single mother.
