Tom Cruise gushes over Val Kilmer's emotional return in 'Top Gun' sequel

Tom Cruise opened up about reuniting with Val Kilmer for Top Gun: Maverick, calling it “very special”, following the actor’s sudden passing.

The 62-year-old actor, who reunited with his Top Gun co-star after nearly 30 years, shared his experience of working with Kilmer after a long hiatus.

In an exclusive conversation with Sight and Sound magazine, Cruise said, “To come back all those years later, and it was amazing being on set for Top Gun: Maverick because it was like time had not passed. We were laughing and it was joyous.”

Speaking to the outlet, he further added, “And then we started acting and it’s just, you see it… he became Iceman. The power that this guy has, even not saying anything, to become that character. You see how even the sniff that he gave. He was Iceman. And you saw the dynamic between these friends. I was very special, to say the least, for me personally.”

Kilmer reprised his role as Iceman, while Cruise returned as Pete Mitchell in the 2022 sequel.

This comes on the heels of the Mission: Impossible actor paying an emotional tribute to Kilmer at the Colosseum in Las Vegas, where he bowed his head in remembrance following the actor’s tragic death.

According to Variety, Cruise said at the event, “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick. I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.”

For the unversed, the late American actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and passed away at the age of 65 due to complications from pneumonia on April 1.