After the pandemic delayed the film by two years, Top Gun: Maverick is finally hitting theatres on May 27, over thirty years since the original Top Gun was released. Fans are delighted for the return of Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as becomes an instructor for a group of Top Gun graduates. Also returning for the sequel is Val Kilmer as the infamous “Iceman” and Maverick’s former rival.
With new faces added to the cast list, the movie is sure to become breakthrough roles for many of the actors. Several actors have already become household names from the major television series or movies while others have shorter and lesser-known filmography. These new faces are bound to become household names after Top Gun: Maverick.
Miles Teller
Portraying the son of the late “Goose” from the original film, audiences will recognize Miles Teller from his previous works. One of his earliest roles was in the 2011 remake of Footloose. Cast as Willard, his character befriended the main character, Ren (Kenny Wormald), who also taught him how to dance.
In 2014, Teller was nominated for multiple MTV Movie Awards from his role in Whiplash where he played a drummer named Andrew Neiman, who is challenged by his abusive bandleader at a prestigious conservatory. He also notably portrayed Peter Hayes in the movie adaptation of The Divergent Series alongside Shailene Woodley and Theo James. With such an array of different roles under his belt, fans are excited to see whether he will be able to live up to the Bradshaw name.
Jennifer Connelly
Having been in the industry since the early ’80s, Jennifer Connelly has an impressive resume. In the 1986 Jim Henson film Labyrinth, Connelly portrayed Sarah who endures a maze full of creatures and riddles to save her baby brother. Other notable early works also include being cast as Jenny in The Rocketeer (1991) and Allison in Mulholland Falls (1996).
One of Connelly’s best performances includes depicting Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Opposite Russell Crow and Ed Harris, she was nominated for multiple awards and earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Currently, she can be found as Melanie Cavill in the TNT series, Snowpiercer.
Ed Harris
With a career spanning almost half a century, Ed Harris is the most seasoned actor joining the ranks (this time playing a Rear Admiral). Often known for playing leaders, Harris accrued a lot of fame for playing Flight Team Director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 (1995) – a strong and intimidating character, who would take no nonsense from anyone. He also gained notorious fame for starring in The Truman Show (1998), as the creator of the reality show following Truman (Jim Carrey).
While not much is known about the character he will be playing in Top Gun: Maverick, fans believe that he will use whatever lessons and skills he learned from these movies to bring the Rear Admiral to life.
Jon Hamm
Audiences will recognize Jon Hamm from his breakout role as Don Draper in AMC’s drama series Mad Men. For many fans, they believe that Draper is one of the best characters in the series (with the actor receiving eight nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and six Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a television drama series).
Other noteworthy performances include starring as Laramie Seymour Sullivan alongside Jeff Bridges and Dakota Johnson in Bad Times At The El Royale (2018) and as the voice of Herb Overkill in Minions (2015). Like many of the other characters, not much is known about his role in Top Gun: Maverick, except that he is set to play Vice Admiral Cyclone.
Glen Powell
Though he has a long list of small guest roles, Glen Powell’s breakthrough performance is the egotistical frat boy Chad Radwell opposite Emma Roberts in Fox’s Scream Queens for two seasons. Powell then went on to make an appearance in Ride Along 2 (2016) as Troy, a drug dealer who gets busted by James and Ben (Ice Cube and Kevin Hart).
Audiences will also recognize Powell from his role in Hidden Figures (2016) as astronaut John Glenn. Though only a supporting role, he acted alongside Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer as the film followed the rise of female mathematicians in NASA. With Powell set to play ‘Hangman,’ time will soon tell if he is set to take on another lead or supporting role.
Lewis Pullman
Set to play Bob Floyd, Lewis Pullman has a shorter list of credentials that is nonetheless impressive. One of his more notable roles is Luke in the underrated horror sequel The Strangers: Prey At Night (2018). Luke, along with his parents and sister, are terrorized by masked assailants in a trailer park.
Pullman will also star in the upcoming horror film Salem’s Lot (2022) – which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Playing Ben Means, his character returns to his hometown only to discover a vampire has been threatening the town. Salem’s Lot is one of the most anticipated horror movies of the year.
Monica Barbaro
Playing Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, Monica Barbaro has a short list of growing credentials. Her most recognized role is in season 2 of Lifetime’s drama series Unreal. She played Yael, a contestant on the popular dating show who is actually an undercover reporter.
Up next for Barbaro is the animated series from Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, which is a follow-up to the zombie heist film Army of the Dead (2021). Though not much is currently unknown about the series, she will be voicing a character named Meagan and the show follows the beginning of the zombie outbreak in Las Vegas.
Jay Ellis
Jay Ellis is most recognizable in his role in one of the best comedies on the small screen, Insecure. Portraying Martin “Lawrence” Walker, he acts as Issa’s longtime boyfriend and owner of a failed start-up company. The show was nominated for numerous awards over the years and has been acclaimed for telling the story of the Black female experience.
He later played Jason Walker in the 2019 horror film Escape Room, which allowed fans to see him in a more action-packed role. Hopefully, this experience will help him out on Top Gun: Maverick when he plays Lieutenant Reuben “Payback” Fitch.
Danny Ramirez
Playing “Fanboy,” Danny Ramirez will be recognized for his role as Ruby’s older brother, Mario, in the Netflix series On My Block. He went on to play Joaquin Torres in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier opposite Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, who is a lieutenant in the Air Force who serves as Sam Wilson’s support staff.
Although not much is known about his role, he has also been cast in the upcoming The Walking Dead spin-off, Tales Of The Walking Dead. The new series is expected to grace small screens in mid-2022.
Greg Davis Jr.
Grey’s Anatomy fans will recognize Greg Davis Jr. for his role in season 18. Playing Dr. Jordan Wright, he became a resident at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital specifically to study under Dr. Bailey whom he eventually kissed. She did not return his advance and ultimately advised him to return to his residency at the Mayo Clinic when the resident program was put on probation.
Other performances include small roles in Tales From The Hood 2 (2018) and The Call Of The Wild (2020). After Top Gun: Maverick, Davis will grace big screens once again in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, though his role is currently undisclosed. The film is scheduled to be released July 14.
