Top Gun 2 Producers Never Considered Kelly McGillis’ Return

Top Gun was released on May 16, 1986 and eventually became a pop culture success. With performances from Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis receiving the most praise, fans couldn’t wait for a sequel and it only took 35 years to get here. Kelly’s return to the sequel was never considered by the producers, so it appears that fans will not be able to see her again.

When Top Gun: Maverick hits theatres later this month, fans will not see Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood, the Top Gun instructor played by Kelly McGillis. The relationship between Maverick and Charlie was one of the mainstays of the original “Top Gun,” but McGills was not asked to reprise her role in the sequel since her character was never ever considered to return.

According to Insider, Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski confirmed the omission ahead of the sequel’s release. Top Gun: Maverick takes place 30 years after the original, with Maverick being forced to train a new generation of hotshot pilots. Miles Teller, Glenn Powell, Monica Barbaro, and Jay Ellis star as the new recruits. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late closest buddy Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, is played by Teller.

Despite the Bradshaw family being a key plot point in Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski stated that not even Meg Ryan, who played Goose’s wife in the original film, was considered for a comeback.

“Those weren’t stories that we were throwing around. I didn’t want every storyline to always be looking backwards. It was important to introduce some new characters.”

The connecting tissue between the first “Top Gun” and its sequel was limited to Goose’s son and the bond between Maverick and Iceman, according to Kosinski.  Cruise recently told Entertainment Tonight that he “rallied hard” for Kilmer to return for the sequel. Instead of McGillis, Jennifer Connolly plays the romantic protagonist in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The Oscar winner plays Penny Benjamin, who was described in the original “Top Gun” as “the Admiral’s daughter” with whom Maverick had a fling. Penny is a single mother who runs a bar in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

“Penny Benjamin, a character we have heard mentioned but never seen before, that was an amazing opportunity to bring Jennifer Connelly’s character into this film.”

McGillis originally disclosed in 2019 that she was rejected for a role on the “Top Gun” sequel, adding, “I’m old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is. And that is not what that whole scene is about. To me, I’d much rather feel absolutely in my skin and who I am at my age as opposed to placing a value on all that other stuff.”

“Top Gun: Maverick” will be released in theatres on May 27 from Paramount Pictures. Obviously, this film will garner attention, but let’s see if it will be forgettable or unforgettable. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on thirsty.

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