Top Gun: Maverick didn't bring back Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis), Pete's romantic partner in Top Gun, and instead introduced the character of Penny. Though surprising, the change was ultimately better for the film. Maverick picks up more than three decades after its predecessor, with Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) serving as a test pilot before he is tasked with training a new generation of pilots for a dangerous assignment. The film was deeply rooted in the mythology of Top Gun. Aside from Mitchell himself, the sequel also brought back Val Kilmer's Iceman and focused on the relationship between Pete and Goose's son, Rooster (Miles Teller).
However, there was a pivotal Top Gun character that did not return for Top Gun: Maverick: Charlie Blackwood. An astrophysicist civilian instructor, Blackwood became Mitchell's romantic partner, with their relationship serving as one of the pillars of the movie. Top Gun's ending seemingly positioned the couple to have a happily-ever-after. However, in Maverick, their romance is no more. Instead, Mitchell finds love again with Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), a character who is referenced in the original Top Gun but never actually appeared in it. Though Charlie is one of Top Gun's central and most memorable characters, the decision not to bring her back ultimately proved better for the film.
Penny Was Better For Top Gun: Maverick's Story Than Charlie Would've Been
Top Gun: Maverick pays homage to what came before (such as Top Gun's volleyball scene) while forging a new path. The film uses plot threads established by Top Gun as jumping-off points to tell a new story of Maverick learning to move on. In short, the film uses the old to bring in something new. Penny is a representation of that. Connelly's character may have already been a part of the franchise via her reference in Top Gun, but the fact that she was an unseen entity allowed her to offer a fresh perspective on the series, opening up an unexplored challenge for Maverick as she leads him to evolve.
Having Charlie as Mitchell's lifelong partner, on the other hand, could have presented a different dynamic. Showing them as a long-time couple in Maverick would have been unlikely to introduce new obstacles for Mitchell's personal life. With Kelly McGillis' Charlie, he could have had a safe place to fall back on with every issue he faced, a far cry from the constantly shifting position he found himself in throughout the sequel. Charlie's appearance could have also lessened Maverick's impact by making it feel that it was relying too much on nostalgia, something the film avoided fully leaning on, even with its various fan-service moments.
Top Gun 2 Proves Maverick & Charlie Wouldn't Have Lasted Anyway
Maverick also shows why Pete and Charlie's relationship likely wouldn't have endured the decades between Top Gun and its continuation. The sequel focuses on Mitchell being stuck, even establishing he hadn't received a significant promotion despite his years of service and countless feats. Given Charlie's characterization, it's unlikely she would have stuck by Pete as he essentially ran around in circles, behaving as recklessly as he did decades prior. Top Gun 2 dealt with Maverick learning to grow and come to terms with the passage of time, and having him still be in a relationship with Blackwood could have made that journey seem inauthentic.
Alternatively, Charlie Blackwood stepping back into Mitchell's life in Maverick could have also been detrimental to the story. His journey is focused on moving on, and going back to such a familiar relationship would have been the opposite of that. Penny represents a new chapter for Pete Mitchell. Her characterization and arc perfectly put into perspective just how much growth the gifted yet reckless pilot had ahead of him. Though it was surprising for Charlie not to return in Top Gun: Maverick, the introduction of Jennifer Connelly's Penny imbued the film with new energy, which it deeply needed as the first sequel to an '80s movie.