Glen Powell was a hit in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, but his Navy roots extend deeper than his Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin character. The movie was pivotal in Powell’s career, and a box office hit. Top Gun: Maverick amassed $1.4 billion globally, cohesive with its reception on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is certified fresh, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 percent and an audience score of 99 percent. The film was the first time he made it big, but Top Gun: Maverick wasn’t Glen Powell’s first stint portraying an officer in the United States Navy.

Although Powell made waves as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick, he had initially auditioned for the role of Rooster, which went to Miles Teller. The Rooster character has a significant connection to Tom Cruise’s Maverick, extending back to the original Top Gun film released in 1986. When Powell missed out on the role, the actor revealed to Men’s Health that Tom Cruise eventually persuaded him to take on the Hangman role, with Powell influencing the character’s rewrite. It’s a vital role for Powell, who saves the day at the film’s end.

Glen Powell Appeared As Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott In NCIS Season 10

Glen Powell Appeared In Episode 6, “Shell Shock Part I,” And Episode 7, “Shell Shock Part II”

Glen Powell appeared as a US Navy officer in NCIS long before he was Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick. The actor joined the cast of NCIS for two appearances as Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott in 2012. Powell portrayed the younger brother of Captain Joe Westcott in NCIS season 10, episodes 6 and 7, in the double episode “Shell Shock.” In “Shell Shock Part I,” Joe was involved in an attack on his friend and a member of his former unit. The captain was convinced that he saw a terrorist from overseas, and Powell’s character came to support his brother.

While it’s eventually revealed that Captain Joe Westcott did, by chance, see someone he knew from Afghanistan, the episode also dealt with the captain’s experience with post-traumatic stress. Powell appeared alongside his brother in multiple scenes. While the narrative is focused on the elder of the two, Powell had a strong presence as a guest star and made a memorable impression as the Marine Sergeant. Powell’s character would do anything to support his brother, even persevering when his brother was irritated and aggressive. He even insisted that their distant father visit Joe in his darkest hour.

Glen Powell’s NCIS Performance Is A Great Precursor To His Top Gun: Maverick Role

Although Glen Powell Portrays A More Cocksure Character In Top Gun: Maverick

Powell had a solid narrative in NCIS, making multiple appearances in the double-feature episode. It’s a great precursor to his Top Gun: Maverick role, although there are a few critical differences. While Powell’s character is a master of the skies in Top Gun, he is concerned with more grounded matters in his NCIS role. Powell’s NCIS character is also more humble and reserved than the cocksure Hangman. Glen Powell’s NCIS character is much more aligned with the role of Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick, so it makes sense that he was initially interested in the role of Maverick’s wingman.

Powell’s roles in NCIS and Top Gun: Maverick set the tone for the actor. He would go on to portray a Navy pilot again in the 2022 film Devotion, based on a true story. In the Korean War drama, Powell portrayed Tom Hudner, one of two navy pilots on which the biographical picture is centered. Devotion went back in time to explore systematic prejudice, and it returned Powell to his NCIS roots. While he carried the same confidence Powell established in Top Gun, his character in Devotion was a more weighty application of Powell’s portrayal of a Naval officer.

While Glen Powell will always be recognizable as Hangman, dedicated NCIS fans will recognize him as a Marine. Powell’s NCIS role as Sergeant Evan Westcott was, without a doubt, a precursor to his role alongside Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. However, Powell flexed his ability to portray a more headstrong, arrogant character in the revival of the 1980s classic. He continued the trend with his role in Devotion, and it only feels natural that the actor returns to the big screen in a Navy-centered drama yet again. He is slated to do so in the Maverick sequel, Top Gun 3.

Source: Men’s Health