The critical reception of Top Gun: Maverick has been overwhelmingly positive, and while it's likely to earn a third installment, Top Gun 2 missed the perfect opportunity to set up Hangman as the new Maverick. Set a little more than three decades after the original Top Gun, this new movie brings Pete “Maverick” Mitchell back to the prestigious Top Gun Naval Academy as an instructor to train a new set of talented young pilots for a special mission. Maverick features many callbacks to the original movie, with Hangman fulfilling the Maverick archetype of this new generation.
The action-and-nostalgia-packed movie’s climactic mission involves Maverick and Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw dodging a series of near-death threats after the success of their nigh-impossible task. When they don’t return with the rest of their team, Hangman requests to rescue them but is denied by his superior. Meanwhile, Maverick and Rooster steal an old enemy plane, and they escape into the air above the ocean where they become cornered. Without functioning ejection seats, it seems Rooster and Maverick are doomed until the last second when they are rescued by Hangman, who it seems has taken it upon himself to disobey orders and come to their aid. This is a very Maverick-like move. However, explicitly showing Hangman getting reprimanded for taking the risk would complete his setup as the new Maverick.
Though the movie focuses heavily on Maverick's relationship with his old wingman's son, Maverick's real successor is Hangman from the very beginning. A young hotshot in Maverick's class, Hangman is a talented and cocky pilot who serves as a walking reminder of a young Maverick. Hangman and Rooster rival each other, reminiscent of Maverick’s relationship with Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Just like Maverick, Hangman clearly and loudly regards himself as the best pilot in the class and is known for keeping his own best interests in mind, recklessly showing off, and leaving his wingman behind during exercises. Rooster is left to With the possibility of more movies, the “Maverick” archetype will need to be passed to one of the younger pilots, and the overly cautious and humble Rooster isn’t the right fit.
Hangman Embodies Maverick's Legacy Of Reckless Selflessness
With enormous talent and an ego to match, Hangman embodies Maverick in many ways, except for the way he gets away with all his reckless antics. Maverick is reprimanded for his choices many times throughout Top Gun, even though he also proves himself a valuable asset because of them. Hangman, on the other hand, has a more under-the-radar relationship with his superiors, which lessens the impact of his daring choices. Maverick’s rebellious attitude always put himself (both his reputation and his life) at risk for the benefit of his team, something the older Maverick continues to do throughout this new movie. Hangman's lack of consequences ultimately take away from his Maverick-ness because it allows him to take those risks without making them seem like a difficult decision.
Hangman does seem to genuinely care for his fellow pilots, but without the stakes of risking punishment, Hangman's rescue feels less like one of Maverick's stunts. If he’d been shown getting in trouble for it, it would have been clearer that he was prepared to sacrifice his position to do what he felt was right. Taking a scolding for saving them would have laid stronger foundations for Hangman's relationship with Rooster, leaving room for a future Top Gun installment to expand on that - as well as each of their relationships with Maverick. Though Tom Cruise can't star in these movies forever (further highlighting the need to pass the mantel to Hangman), Maverick can relate to Hangman's recklessness and could be the one to teach him balance as he continues to push Rooster out of his comfort zone.
Officially, there's no Top Gun 3 in the works, but with Top Gun: Maverick's incredible success, it seems inevitable. As Tom Cruise's character transitions away from the main protagonist, the next installment will need to take greater care to establish Hangman as the bearer of that fun, rule-bending archetype. Unfortunately for him, that needs to include some consequences for his recklessness.