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Val Kilmer’s first Top Gun 2 reaction will make you cry

Val Kilmer's rection to seeing the scene between him and Tom Cruise's Maverick in Top Gun 2 is emotional - he was happy and so moved

Val Kilmer

The entire world seems united behind the Top Gun sequel, Maverick, which was released in May 2022 and is still going strong in theatres, over three months later. And most people agree that an emotional highlight of the action movie is the scene between Tom Cruise‘s Maverick and Val Kilmer‘s Iceman.

Director Joseph Kosinski recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about showing that scene to Kilmer for the first time. “I do remember showing it to Val for the first time. That’s a very distinct memory because he came in to watch parts of the film. So that was one scene I wanted him to see, and obviously, we were all a little nervous showing it to him just because we really wanted him to like it. But his response was beautiful. He was so happy and so moved by it that it made us all feel really good and that maybe we had gotten it right.”

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, which obviously affects his speaking voice. Since then, Kilmer has published a memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, in 2020. He also made a very personal documentary, Val which came out in 2021.

Top Gun: Maverick is on its way to $1.5 billion at the box office, with a strong Labor Day weekend galvanising it once more. This is significantly more than any of its competition – Jurassic World Dominion, Doctor Strange 2, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and The Batman have all made under a billion each.

Tom Cruise will next be wowing us with death-defying stunts in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, a two-part extravaganza which will probably serve as a finale to the long-running saga.

If you’re a fan of the original Top Gun, check out our guide to where the cast are now. Find out where to watch the original Top Gun. And check out our guide to the best 80s movies.