The Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, will pit Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell against the son of Goose, among other figures in positions of authority. By the time we catch up with Maverick in the present-day, he has become a flight instructor and mentor to the next generation of hotshot pilots. However, that doesn't mean that that the late Nick "Goose" Bradshaw's son is a fan of Maverick; in fact, he very much holds the latter responsible for his father's death.

Top Gun: Maverick was in development for years before it seemingly fell off the track for good in 2012, following the death of original Top Gun director Tony Scott. The sequel has since been revived under the watchful eyes of director Joseph Kosinski and screenwriter Eric Warren Singer, fresh off their collaboration on the true story-based firefighter drama Only the Brave. Ahead of the movie's planned 2018 production start, breakdowns for the various new players in the Top Gun sequel have been made available.

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These Top Gun: Maverick character breakdowns (which THS picked up) reveal that Goose's son is named Wrigley and is aged 20-29, has "All-American good looks", graduated from an Ivy League school, and has a lot in common with Maverick, in spite of the tension between them. The character rundown also mentions one Penny Benjamin, a woman (40-55 years old) who "has been around pilots all her life" and serves as the love interest for Cruise's onscreen counterpart in the Top Gun sequel. Penny also has a young 10-12 year old daughter named Miriam.

Top Gun Tom Cruise Tony Scott

Other characters listed in the Top Gun: Maverick breakdowns include the following members of Maverick's class (all of who are aged 20-29, like Wrigley):

  • "Sugar", a Latina with a loner mentality. She also serves as a love interest for Wrigley.
  • "Kansas", a competitive fellow with "Southern Charm" to spare.
  • "Otter", a nerdy type who's also super-competitive.
  • "Shotgun", a "burly and earnest" fellow.
  • "Drone", a "sharp and tough" young woman.

On the older side of the table in Top Gun: Maverick, there's Admiral Robby "Caspar" Benjamin (aged 50-69), a "No nonsense Texan [with a]  laid-back demeanor [that] masks his intensity." Caspar also happens to be Penny's brother and distrusts Maverick, based on his "selfish attitude in the Sky." There's also the character Boyd (age 50), a two-star general "who takes no s**t". It remains to be seen for now if Boyd is Team Maverick or not.

While Val Kilmer has expressed his interest in reprising "Iceman" for the Top Gun sequel, there's nothing in these character breakdowns to suggest that the character plays a significant role in the film (though a cameo shouldn't be ruled out just yet). Cruise will set to work on Top Gun: Maverick shortly after he completes production on Mission: Impossible 6 within the next few months, so more official casting updates regarding the newcomers in the Top Gun sequel should start flowing in pretty soon.

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Source: THS

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