As one might expect from a 36-year time jump, quite a lot has changed for Top Gun ended. Played by Val Kilmer, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky was Maverick’s rival-turned-ally in the 1986 classic. Iceman is returning alongside Tom Cruise’s character for the long-awaited Top Gun sequel.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick features a new ing cast for Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who is now surrounded by a new class of young pilots, a new love interest in Jennifer Connelly’s Penny Benjamin, and more. Characters associated with Maverick in the 1980s, such as Slider, Hollywood, Viper, Jester, and Charlie, have all apparently moved on. However, one of his friends from his days at the TOPGUN flight school is still around. Iceman, whose role has been shrouded in mystery since his involvement was confirmed, is one of only three Top Gun characters to appear in the sequel, with the other two being Maverick and Rooster (who was just a child in the first movie).
In the timeframe of Top Gun: Maverick, Iceman is an iral in the U.S. Navy and the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. This was confirmed by the final Top Gun: Maverick trailer, which featured a framed photo of the character on a wall. This rank says a great deal about what Iceman has been up to between the two movies. While the other aviators in Top Gun may have eventually retired from the military in the three decades that have ed, both Maverick and Iceman have devoted their entire adult lives to it.
Iceman remained in the U.S. Navy after Top Gun ended and enjoyed what was an incredibly successful career. In 36 years, he’s gone from the rank of Lieutenant to the highest position in the Navy, which means he’s received numerous promotions. All things considered, it seems that Iceman’s authority and standing in the military only got better after Top Gun’s ending. And as for his relationship with Maverick, the fact that he recommended Maverick for his new job shows that the respect they gained for each other at the end of the first movie hasn’t wavered.
What became of Iceman after Top Gun draws some interesting parallels to where Tom Cruise’s character is in Top Gun: Maverick. In the trailer, iral Simpson (Jon Hamm) noted that he only put Maverick in charge of the new TOPGUN class based on a recommendation by Iceman, which is indicative of the gap that now exists between them. It appears that while Maverick’s impulsive and daring behavior has annoyed his superiors to a point where it’s stood in the way of him advancing beyond the rank of Captain, Iceman took a much different path in life by impressing those above him and getting justly rewarded for his efforts.
