Although one Top Gun: Maverick star says that he is unlikely to return in Top Gun 3, this is surprisingly good news for the sequel. Not every star of Top Gun returned in Top Gun: Maverick, but this did not stop the sequel from becoming one of 2022’s most acclaimed blockbusters. By Top Gun: Maverick’s ending, it was clear that an appearance from Tom Skerritt or Meg Ryan reprising their respective Top Gun supporting roles would not have made the successful sequel any stronger.
Not only was Top Gun: Maverick’s Iceman/ Maverick reunion perfect already, but the absence of some supporting stars just served to highlight how much time had pᴀssed since the original movie ended. In the world of Top 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 that Top Gun 3’s story is likely to jettison one character from Top Gun: Maverick isn’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 outlet Joe.ie, Top Gun: Maverick supporting 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 release Long 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 3 without 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 in Top Gun: Maverick as 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.
This was pivotal since, as both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick’s villains are 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 some theories that Cain could be Top 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 repeat Top 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 3 shouldn’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 to Top Gun: Maverick, the audience has also witnessed an older, wiser, and more embittered version of the character take on the top brᴀss and win again in the sequel. Maverick needs to go on a new, original journey in Top Gun 3 for the sequel to feel like more than a mere retread of its predecessors. As such, Top Gun 3 shouldn’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: Maverick hinted at this shift when Maverick struggled to teach recruits like Rooster, Hangman, and Phoenix. However, after Top 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.
In Top 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. In Top 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 for Top Gun 3 to tell, meaning Top Gun: Maverick’s supporting star might be right to say he doesn’t need to appear again in the sequel.
Source: Joe.ie
