In the new trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, the lack of Val Kilmer supports the theory that Iceman is dead. Top Gun: Maverick is a direct sequel to Top Gun, and will hit theaters 34-years after the original debuted in 1986. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun 2 marks the return of Cruise's LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a hotshot Navy pilot with a need for speed who trained at Top Gun, the Naval Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar.
The first Top Gun: Maverick trailer debuted at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con to a thunderous reaction. The footage displayed an aging Maverick serving as a flight instructor for new recruits at Top Gun. Maverick also serves as a test pilot, which allows him to dodge advancement in rank and explains why a pilot with his experience is only a Captain. The Top Gun: Maverick cast includes Miles Teller as Goose's son, Rooster, Glen Powell as a pilot trainee, and Jennifer Connolly as the owner of a bar and Maverick's love interest. Also joining Cruise from the original film is Val Kilmer as Vice admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, a fellow instructor and rival-turned-friend of Maverick. Although Kilmer will appear in the sequel, he was notably absent in the first trailer. There is a clip of Maverick at a funeral for a fallen comrade, which has led many to believe that Iceman is in fact dead.
The new Top Gun: Maverick trailer features more death-defying stunts, a confrontation between Teller and Cruise, and another look into the mysterious funeral. The short clip displays a dejected Maverick saluting a coffin draped in the American flag. Then, four fighter jets fly over the funeral with an emotional Connelly looking on. Once again, Iceman is notably absent, further strengthening the theory that it's his funeral.
If Iceman is the one in the coffin, then it wouldn't be the first time Top Gun killed a main character. In the first film, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), Maverick's RIO, tragically dies during a failed ejection attempt from their aircraft. As Maverick suffered from survivor's guilt the rest of the film, it was Iceman who came to his aid and they formed a friendship. With Maverick upset at the funeral in the trailer, it suggests he had a strong relationship with the deceased person, which further supports the idea that it could be Iceman. Also, it's clearly a military funeral because of the American flag over the coffin and the flyover, which means it could be Iceman's ceremony.
Since Iceman has not been seen in the first two trailers, the likelihood of him showing up in future trailers is slim. There's clearly a reason as to why Iceman has not been shown so it could be for the surprise reveal that he's dead. Whether Iceman is alive or dead does not change the fact that Maverick will have to face the ghosts of his past and deal with the ever-changing world in Top Gun: Maverick.
