Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw's (Miles Teller) animosity towards Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) in Top Gun: Maverick may be about his mother and not the death of his dad. Plot details for the Joseph Kosinski's sequel to the 1986 cult classic Top Gun are still firmly under wraps with the movie not hitting theaters until next summer. That said, marketing for the blockbuster has provided several clues as to what to expect from it, which includes a tumultuous relationship between Nick "Goose" Bradshaw's (Anthony Edwards) son and his pilot partner.
Set more than three decades from the original film, Top Gun: Maverick will see the titular character as Navy captain and one of the flight instructors at the very same academy he and Goose were sent to back in the mid-'80s. As he mentors a new breed of high-achieving pilots, he encounters a particularly tricky situation when the younger Bradshaw, who harbors ill-feelings towards him, becomes his student. The trailers for the film have teased some intense encounters between the pair, with Rooster explicitly saying that he doesn't trust his dead father's good friend.
The general assumption is that Bradley carries a grudge towards Maverick for the death of his father back in Top Gun. However, for a film that has been doing a great job keeping spoilers under check, it seems to be too straightforward and obvious. Perhaps there's a different reason why Rooster is mad at Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick — something that involves his mother, Carole (Meg Ryan).
Carole Never Blamed Maverick For Goose's Death
In the aftermath of Goose's death in Top Gun, Maverick was racked with guilt with what happened during the training session that claimed the life of his RIO. While he was subjected and subsequently cleared of responsibility with what happened by a tribunal, he was still haunted by the death of Goose; he felt like it was his fault for flying too close to Tom "Iceman" Kazansky's (Val Kilmer) tail or being unable to take control of the aircraft after it flew straight into the jetwash. Regardless of the specifics of the accident, Maverick felt that as the pilot, he bore the responsibility of making sure that both he and Goose were safe — and he failed at that.
Interestingly, however, Carole never really blamed him for the death of her husband. In their brief final encounter after the accident, Maverick handed Goose's stuff to his wife, and instead of getting mad at the pilot for what happened, he even consoled him, telling him it's okay to move on and continue flying again.
Why Carole Is Not Returning To Top Gun 2
Very few of the original Top Gun cast members are returning for the sequel and considering how long it has been since the first film, this somehow makes sense. The focus on Top Gun: Maverick isn't really on the Navy or the titular flight academy, but on Maverick instead — the film will tackle what he has been up to the last three decades and how his life turned out since he graduated from the flight school back in the '80s. That said, since the film will revisit the tragedy of Goose's death more prominently with the appearance of Bradley, it's curious why they're not bringing Carole back.
Based on the interactions between Maverick and Bradley in Top Gun: Maverick's trailer, it doesn't seem like the pair kept contact over the years. This, in itself, is odd considering that as Goose's flying partner and friend, Maverick should've at least checked up on Carole and her kid just to see if there's anything he could do for them. Possibly with no support from other people, Carole may have had a difficult time getting over the demise of her spouse and caring for Bradley. While she seemed well-adjusted in the aftermath of Goose's death, it's possible that she struggled to cope with it for years resulting in the collapse of her well-being and perhaps, eventual death.
Maverick's Guilt Made Him Turn His Back On Goose's Family
Maverick turning his back on Carole and Bradley after Goose's death after the events of Top Gun fits well with his character. As he struggled to come to terms with what happened with RIO, he shut himself off from the outside world — including his then-girlfriend, Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwell (Kelly McGillis). When he came face-to-face with Carole, he didn't offer any words of consolation, he simply handed her Goose's things. Given this, it's certainly possible that he never reached out to the Bradshaws after that final meeting. Even if he wanted to, the pain and guilt he felt was too much, and seeing how Carole was without a husband and Bradley without a father would be a reminder of the tragedy that he still blamed himself for.
Instead of ensuring that the Bradshaws are okay, Maverick more likely dealt with his guilt by throwing himself to work. While Maverick has barely ascended the Naval ranks since Top Gun, it's clear from Top Gun: Maverick that he remains dedicated to the job — maybe too dedicated that he refused to retire as Ed Harris' unnamed admiral stated in the trailer.
Bradley Hates Maverick Because Of What Happened To Carole
As a brilliant pilot himself, chances are that Bradley fully understands what happened during the training accident that claimed the life of his dad more than three decades ago. Given this, he also knows that Maverick isn't fully to blame with what happened as it was a combination of a lot of things and it's unfair to put the burden of it solely on him. So, there's a good possibility that his lack of trust in Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick isn't really about Goose's death, but with what happened with Carole.
It's possible that after Maverick seemingly coming to terms with what happened to Goose, he made a solid effort to keep contact with the Bradshaws as a way of making up for his involvement in their predicament. Bradley and Carole welcomed his help, but eventually, he proved to be undependable — regardless if intentional or not. While Carole understood this, Bradley didn't and from there, his animosity towards Maverick started. This may have been aggravated with whatever happened to his mother, who more likely struggled to deal with the death of her husband and raise a young child simultaneously. Taking this narrative route ensures that while Carole is not physically appearing in Top Gun: Maverick, she is still part of its story. It's also a more complex way of explaining Bradley's conflict with Maverick.
