Top Gun: Maverick’s Ending Hints 1 Wasted Character Will Get A Better Story In Top Gun 3

While Top Gun: Maverick mostly wasted one of its supporting stars, the underrated character could prove pivotal to Top Gun 3. Thanks to the 36-year wait between Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, many of the original movie’s characters didn’t return in the belated sequel. Fortunately, Top Gun: Maverick was full of memorable new faces whose subplots made up for the absence of figures like Meg Ryan’s Carole and Tom Skerritt’s Viper. That said, not all of these new characters got a moment in the spotlight due to the sequel’s fast-paced plotting.

While Top Gun: Maverick’s ending gave Miles Teller’s Rooster, Tom Cruise’s Maverick, and even Glen Powell’s Hangman heroic moments, the sequence didn’t give some other crucial characters much opportunity to shine. For instance, Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix and Lewis Pullman’s fan-favorite character B.O.B. were largely underutilized in the sequel’s packed third act. However, neither of these missteps could compare to Top Gun: Maverick‘s worst new character mistake. One of the most high-profile additions to the sequel’s cast barely played any role in the ending, and this is something that Top Gun 3 should ameliorate.

Top Gun: Maverick Wasted Jon Hamm’s Cyclone

The star played a disappointingly one-dimensional antagonist in Top Gun’s sequel

Jon Hamm’s Cyclone had some great scenes in Top Gun: Maverick, most notably when he chewed out Maverick for going under the hard deck early on, and when he shamefacedly admitted that no one but Maverick could fly the mission later in the story. However, Hamm’s Top Gun: Maverick role was way too small for a star of his caliber. Out of Top Gun: Maverick’s many new characters, Cyclone came closest to replicating Maverick’s love/hate relationship with Iceman from the original movie, but the sequel gave this villain nowhere near as much focus as Val Kilmer’s character received in the 1986 cult classic.

Top Gun: Maverick needed a compelling human villain since, for most of the story, Maverick was his own worst enemy. The faceless, nation-less enemy combatants weren’t a major presence in the sequel’s plot, as was the case in the original Top Gun. As such, Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson mostly took on the antagonist role. As if to underline this idea, Hamm’s character even told Maverick that he didn’t like him but had a lot of respect for Iceman. Cyclone was clearly set up as a foil to Maverick, another rules-obsessed rival who didn’t care for the pilot’s reckless attitude. However, Hamm’s lack of screen time limited this subplot’s impact.

Top Gun: Maverick’s Ending Set Up Cyclone’s Redemption

Cyclone’s change of heart proved Hamm’s character has potential

When Rooster and Maverick are trapped behind enemy lines in the sequel’s ending, Cyclone initially refuses to let Top Gun: Maverick’s supporting character Hangman save them. This was a perfect chance for Powell’s smarmy rival to prove that he is as brave as he is cocky, but Cyclone errs on the side of caution even if it means condemning Rooster and Maverick to capture or death. However, Cyclone then changes his mind off-screen at some point. Swallowing his pride, the Vice Admiral allows Hangman to triumphantly save both Rooster and Maverick.

Since this about-face happens off-screen, viewers never get to see Cyclone soften his attitude toward Maverick and his protégé Rooster. This was a shame since Hamm is famous for playing stoic, reserved men with hidden depth, and could have mined a lot of pathos from this moment if it occurred onscreen. That said, this twist did still set up Cyclone’s potential redemption in Top Gun 3. In the closing moments of the movie, Cyclone gives Maverick a curt nod that acknowledges his impressive success, and this could result in a thawing of relations between the pair in the sequel.

Top Gun 3 Can Give Jon Hamm’s Cyclone A Better Story

Jon Hamm’s villain could replace Iceman in Top Gun 3

Much like how Top Gun: Maverick transformed Iceman from Val Kilmer’s sneering villain into Maverick’s old friend and close confidante, Top Gun 3 could make Cyclone a warmer presence. After all, Iceman’s Top Gun: Maverick return was the most moving scene in the sequel, largely because Maverick and Iceman spent the preceding movie constantly ready to throw down. Cyclone has already proven that he can be as obstinate as Iceman, so the character now deserves a chance to be redeemed like his predecessor.

Furthermore, Iceman’s absence in Top Gun 3 means that Maverick will need a new confidante. While Rooster clearly looks up to him, the generational gap between them means Maverick is unlikely to seek advice from Goose’s young son. In contrast, Cyclone is part of Maverick’s generation and a contemporary of himself and Iceman. After Iceman’s tragic death, it would make sense for Top Gun 3’s version of Maverick to reach out to this Top Gun: Maverick villain and view him as more of a peer than a competitor.