Thus far, every Top Gun: Maverick trailer has hidden the return of Val Kilmer’s Iceman — and that’s great news for the long-awaited sequel. It’s a little strange that Val Kilmer’s Iceman isn’t in the trailers for Top Gun: Maverick. The epic sequel has been decades in the making and, in that time, star Tom Cruise has been open about his adamant view that the sequel shouldn’t exist without Kilmer reprising his role.
To this end, the creators of Top Gun: Maverick have not concealed the character’s return, either. Even Iceman’s new rank in Top Gun: Maverick has already been revealed, meaning people already know the character will be back in the much-anticipated follow-up. However, the strategy of keeping him concealed is still a clever one.
Kilmer’s Iceman hasn't been properly shown in the Top Gun: Maverick trailers for good reason. This likely fits with the theory that Top Gun: Maverick will kill off Iceman, meaning his role in the sequel will be smaller than his part in the original Top Gun. With this in mind, the approach is a clever one. Kilmer probably isn't going to have a lot of screen time in Top Gun: Maverick, but will have an impactful role both because of his character’s likely death and because of his longstanding relationship with Maverick. Not showing any of their interactions in the Top Gun: Maverick trailers can preserve those moments more rather than giving away too much of his return.
A fair comparison here would be the trailers and promotional materials for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, all of which played down the involvement of the original Ghostbusters cast. Although the creators never made their return a secret, their eventual cameo became the sequel’s sweetest moment precisely because Ghostbusters: Afterlife gave its stars Carrie Coon, Young Sheldon’s McKenna Grace, and Stranger Things Finn Wolfhard a chance to shine before bringing back the old guard for a triumphant ending. Similarly, Top Gun: Maverick can afford to conceal Kilmer’s Iceman because the filmmakers know that the reunion of two screen veterans like Kilmer and Cruise after decades will be worth the ticket price alone. Kilmer and Cruise’s scenes together are Top Gun: Maverick’s equivalent of bringing back the old gang of Ghostbusters, meaning it is smart for the movie not to waste them on a trailer.
Top Gun: Maverick boasts an impressive cast of established stars like Jennifer Connelly and Jon Hamm alongside relative newcomers like Miles Teller and Glen Powell. In comparison, Kilmer’s Iceman is an established favorite that fans of the original Top Gun are guaranteed to be excited to see. Focusing on Hamm’s new Top Gun: Maverick character, for example, makes more sense than already showing Kilmer’s Iceman return before the movie even reaches cinemas. Top Gun: Maverick is better off keeping its Val Kilmer return under wraps until viewers see Maverick and Iceman reunited on the big screen.
