Top Gun: Maverick will see a conflict between Tom Cruise's titular hero and Jon Hamm's new character. The cult '80s classic Top Gun is finally getting a sequel with a current 2020 summer release. Set more than three decades after the original movie, the Joseph Kosinski project will see the return of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, and this time, he's both a Navy captain and a flight instructor at TOPGUN which is the same flight academy he trained in years ago.
Very few of the original Top Gun actors are returning for Top Gun: Maverick and the sequel is working its way around that by introducing a string of new players. That includes a new crop of Navy pilots in-training including the son of Maverick's former RIO, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller). There's also Glen Powell's trainee only known as Hangman. Aside from Maverick's contemporaries, there are also new key players in the organization like Ed Harris' unknown admiral who has been prominently featured in the trailers and Hamms' unnamed character.
While Hamm can delve into specific details regarding his role in Top Gun: Maverick, he addresses rumors of his connection to Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) from the original film, as well as, his dynamic with Cruise's lead hero. In a new interview with Men's Journal, he shared that he does have some connection to Viper but not the same way that he'd been a father-figure to Maverick. Hamm also confirmed his Navy rank which would supposedly create friction between him and the titular character.
Yeah, it’s sort of tangentially related. It’s not so much of a father figure, the way Viper was to Tom. He’s air boss of the fighter wing. He has a lot of authority and responsibility. When that rubs up against Maverick, there’s friction, as you would guess. I provide the friction.
There's a couple of interesting takeaways from Hamm's comments, starting with his character's supposed connection to Viper. Top Gun did show Viper being a father-figure to Maverick, especially as he was dealing with the death of Goose. Their connection was further solidified by Viper previously working with his dad, hence, knowing what really happened to Duke Mitchell which had been a massive mystery in Maverick's life. Hamm's revelation insinuates that Viper may have continued to mentor Maverick even after the events of the original film. Interestingly, the former Mad Men star didn't confirm nor deny if he's blood-related to Viper; just because he wasn't a father-figure to him doesn't necessarily mean that he's not his biological father.
Additionally, given Hamm's character's position, it's possible that he has a penchant for barking out orders including to Maverick who's essentially a subordinate. Cruise's character stuck at being a Navy captain despite his skills, not to mention years in service, will be one of the main focal points of Top Gun: Maverick. Perhaps both characters were up for the promotion and something happened that Maverick lost it to unknown factors. In any case, Maverick has never really had a healthy relationship with authorities, so it's not surprising he'll have some friction with Hamm's character.
Source: Men's Journal
