Fans are worried that Val Kilmer's Iceman may be dead in Top Gun: Maverick, but the character deserves a better fate than that. In the original Top Gun movie, Val Kilmer played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, a hotshot pilot who quickly developed a competitive relationship with Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The competition between the two rivals was a major part of the movie, as both were determined to prove that they were the best. Their rivalry presented a problem at first, but by the end of the film, the two developed a mutual respect for each other.
Val Kilmer is officially set to return as Iceman in the sequel. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick sees its titular character, Maverick, acting as an instructor to a new class of pilots who are undergoing training for a dangerous mission. The cast of Top Gun: Maverick also includes Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, and Glen Powell. The sequel is expected to focus on all the things that made the first movie so popular, such as the realistic flying sequences and dogfights. One aspect of the first film that's missing is Maverick's F-14 Tomcat, which has been replaced by the F/A-18F Super Hornet.
Most of the original Top Gun cast is missing as well, including Maverick's love interest, Charlie (Kelly McGillis). Val Kilmer's Iceman, however, is another story. But that being said, fans have reasons to suspect that Iceman's role may disappoint.
Top Gun 2's Trailers Suggest Iceman Is Dead
The first full trailer for Top Gun: Maverick shows Cruise's Maverick paying his respects to an unidentified character at a military funeral, prompting fans to wonder if Iceman is the one in the coffin. This theory is supported by the fact that none of the trailers have included Iceman, despite his importance to the story of the first movie. Why are the trailers hiding Iceman? It's already been reported that Iceman is now an admiral, so what could the movie be trying to conceal? The obvious answer is that Iceman may be dead, or he dies in the first act.
Top Gun: Maverick Needs A Bigger Role For Iceman
Aside from the protagonist, Val Kilmer's Iceman is the only major character returning from Top Gun, and being such an iconic movie that's so loved by audiences, it certainly seems that there should be more than just one familiar face in the sequel. All things considered, there's nothing wrong with Top Gun: Maverick killing off the character, as long as he serves a bigger purpose than just dying. At this point, it seems possible that Iceman's death may kick off the story, but the emotional impact of his death won't be strongly felt unless Maverick gives him enough screen time to make his death matter.
