Top Gun: Maverick has teased the return of a major character in its final trailer.
Ahead of its rescheduled release in May, the Top Gun sequel has shared a new trailer that features a portrait and mention of Val Kilmer's character, Iceman.
In the clip, Vice Admiral Cyclone (Jon Hamm) tells Maverick (Tom Cruise): "Let me be perfectly blunt, you were not my first choice.
"You are here at the request of Admiral Kazansky, aka Iceman. He seems to think that you have something left to offer the Navy. What that is, I can't imagine."
Related: Top Gun producer reveals how he convinced Tom Cruise to play Maverick
Cruise turns to look at the framed photo of his rival Iceman hanging on the wall behind him. A stern-looking Kilmer stares back at him from the portrait, which shows him in naval uniform sitting in front of the United States flag.
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There are rumours that Kilmer will make a cameo as Iceman in the movie, but the trailer only gives a glimpse of the photo.
However, later in the trailer, Maverick attends a navy funeral with a gun salute and he hits the emblem on the coffin. This has led some fans to speculate that it could be Iceman’s funeral.
However, there's also been speculation that it could be a funeral service for Tom Skerritt's character, Commander Mike Metcalf (aka Viper).
Related: Top Gun: Maverick star Jennifer Connelly promises "extraordinary" flying scenes
Director Joseph Kosinski has spoken about the iconic relationship between the two rivals that originated in the 1986 film, but he did not confirm if they would come face-to-face in the sequel.
"The rivalry and relationship between Iceman and Maverick is one of those things that makes that first film so iconic," he said. "It's a relationship that is important to the Top Gun franchise and as a fan I would want to see how it's evolved."
The long-awaited sequel has been affected by several delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However the movie will be screened at Cannes Film Festival before hitting the big screen in a couple of months' time.
Top Gun: Maverick opens in cinemas on May 25, 2022 in the UK and May 27, 2022 in the US.
![Top Gun – 4K Ultra HD [Blu-ray] [2020] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1623254447-51aVUJxpYxL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Top Gun – 4K Ultra HD [Blu-ray] [2020] [Region Free]")
Columbia/Legacy Top Gun - Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Expanded Edition)
Jess is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for over-analysing everyone’s favourite movies and TV shows. As an English graduate from the University of York with an MA in Creative Writing, Jess worked as a magazine editor before turning freelance. Since then, Jess has written for outlets such as GQ, The Guardian, Inverse, Huff Post, Stylist, and Insider. She specialises in the representation of mental health, grief, and women in film. She’s also a major Marvel nerd and is writing a YA fantasy novel. LinkedIn
