Much has been made of Iceman’s presence (and Charlie’s absence) in the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick, but where is Tom Skerritt’s legendary Viper, and will the movie be able to keep the legacy of his character alive? Finally jetting into cinemas after a multi-decade wait, Top Gun: Maverick may be one of the most hotly anticipated cinematic releases of 2021. The story of Tom Cruise’s reckless titular test pilot, the original Top Gun won over audiences with its top-tier action and campy drama when it was first released way back in 1986.
In the decades since, the first movie in the Top Gun franchise proved more than just a huge success at the box office, becoming a well-loved action classic and an ideal recruitment tool for the real-life Navy flight school. As a result, a Top Gun sequel has been in the works on and off despite major production impediments in the intervening decades. For some time, the project appeared to be canceled due to the untimely death of original Top Gun director and action cinema legend Tony Scott, but eventually, Tron 2.0 creator Joseph Kosinski took over the directorial reins and the sequel is now set to arrive on screens in 2021.
However, not everyone from the original Top Gun cast will be back for Maverick’s long-awaited return to the silver screen. While Val Kilmer's Iceman is returning, a great many new faces will be joining the cast this time around, including Whiplash’s Miles Teller as Goose's son, Rooster, and Mad Men star Jon Hamm. One character that hasn’t been confirmed or denied for certain, though, is Tom Skerritt’s Viper, a pivotal character in the original Top Gun who may or may not put in an appearance this time around. Viewers know that Iceman will be back, and between himself and Goose's offspring, Maverick will never be far from reminders of his troubled past. But will the hardass instructor who wanted the best for his recruits put in another appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, and will the franchise be able to keep his memory alive if not?
Why Viper May Not Be In Top Gun 2
With much of the original cast not returning and Skerritt now 87 years old, the supporting character has a solid excuse not to show up for duty in the new movie as his character is (hopefully) happily retired. Also, given his advanced age, there’s a chance that the coffin seen in the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick belongs to Viper. In the original movie, Viper is mentioned as having a wife and children, a fact that automatically puts him in contrast with the young recruits who have little to lose in their relentless pursuit of high-flying thrills. Throughout the action of the original Top Gun, the relatively level-headed older officer is a foil whose stability is a world away from both Iceman and Maverick’s obsessive need to outdo each other at the expense of their personal lives.
Now that viewers know Charlie and Maverick parted ways between Top Gun installments, seeing a more sensible family man like Viper die content and surrounded by his loving family long after his retirement could cause some introspection for the lonely, still speed-obsessed older Maverick. Viewers do know that Maverick is still a test pilot despite the obvious risk to his life after all these years, and therefore it’s obvious that the character’s need for speed has outstripped his desire to settle down and start a family. This is something Viper’s death could put in perspective before it’s too late for Maverick.
How Viper Could Still Turn Up In Top Gun 2
However, Skerritt did discuss Top Gun: Maverick and talk about how immersive and exciting the movie’s trailer looked on American morning television, so nothing is beyond the bounds of possibility when it comes to the chance of Viper putting in an onscreen appearance. The Top Gun: Maverick trailer also offers a brief glimpse of Maverick’s hangar where his fighter jet resides, so it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Maverick may meet up with Skerritt as a retired friend outside of work hours. This sort of more personal relationship between the pair after the end of Viper's professional life could prompt the same soul-searching as the character's death would (albeit in a less dramatic way). Even if they're just meeting to catch up (and maybe give the legendary since-decommissioned Tomcat a spin), Skerritt’s aging character could still be as perfect a foil for the perpetually youthful Maverick as he was in the first Top Gun.
How Top Gun 2 Can Keep Viper’s Legacy Alive
More important than Skerritt appearing or not, however, is the fact that Top Gun: Maverick needs to keep Viper’s legacy alive. Ultimately, Top Gun: Maverick doesn’t actually need Viper to appear onscreen for the character’s presence in the series to remain relevant and his effect on its characters to be clear. In the original Top Gun, Viper’s tough but fair attitude is a big part of what allowed Maverick to make it through the titular flight school, and his moving hospital visit pulled Maverick out of a depressive tailspin. After the death of Goose, Maverick was right to be humbled and unsure about his future as a pilot, leading Viper to assure him that although he needs to take others into account, he’s not responsible for Goose’s death and has to forgive himself too.
With Goose’s son to be among his young charges, Maverick has a perfect opportunity to recreate this scene for a frustrated and burnt out recruit of his own. Viper was able, at a vital moment in Maverick’s journey, to assure the young recruit that his father was a hero whose death wasn’t in service of nothing. Maverick can say the same to Goose’s son and speak from experience, meaning that If Goose’s offspring does come into trouble, Maverick can return the favor that Viper granted him by telling the young recruit that he flew with his father and knows how proud Goose would be of him. This sort of dynamic would transition Maverick from the physically demanding role of his job into a more emotionally involved mentor role, a challenge that Cruise is more than up for as an actor. As such, Top Gun: Maverick could do justice to Viper, even without a cameo from Tom Skerritt, by having Maverick offer a young recruit the same reassurance that his mentor once gave him.
