Top Gun: Maverick has been praised for its spectacular stunts and action sequences, yet it is the cast that is proving to be its major strength.
Warning: Contains potential SPOILERS for Top Gun: Maverick
36 years after its illustrious predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick reignites the Top Gun saga with a raft of recurring and original characters. While the return of star Tom Cruise to one of his most recognizable roles has certainly stolen the headlines, Top Gun: Maverick boasts an incredible array of talent in every scene. Arguably, one of the movie's greatest strengths stems from the fact that Cruise's legacy provides a perfect counterweight to many unfamiliar yet instantly iconic faces.
Top Gun: Maverick follows Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he attempts to train a new batch of Top Gun recruits for a dangerous military mission. Having spent the previous three decades deliberately avoiding promotion in order to continue flying, Maverick is viewed with skepticism by his superiors, as well as those he is supposed to be training. While he is eventually able to win over his new charges – including Rooster, the son of his old wingman Goose – a mission to destroy a uranium enrichment facility proves more precarious than even Maverick could have anticipated, placing himself and his fellow aviators right in the firing line.
Featuring explosive action and breathtaking flight sequences, Top Gun: Maverick has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, especially when compared to the original. While the effects are undeniably impressive, much critical praise has focused on the camaraderie between the cast, elevating Top Gun: Maverick beyond being a simply run-of-the-mill action reboot. Here's the full guide to every Top Gun: Maverick character, including both returning cast members and new recruits.
Tom Cruise as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell
As the most recognizable presence in the Top Gun duology, Tom Cruise's Maverick is perhaps the movie's most essential ingredient. Unlike his role in the original, the older Pete Mitchell has been tempered somewhat by his experiences in the Navy, yet retains the same free-spirited air that so endeared him to audiences in 1986. Away from the world of Top Gun, Tom Cruise is internationally recognized as one of the world's most bankable movie stars. His most famous projects include the likes of Mission: Impossible, A Few Good Men and Minority Report.
Val Kilmer as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky
Reprising his role as Maverick's main rival from the original movie, Val Kilmer's Iceman wasn't always destined to appear in the Top Gun sequel. After an extensive Facebook campaign and the support of Cruise, Kilmer was finally confirmed in 2018. Unlike Maverick, Iceman has successfully risen through the ranks, becoming a four-star admiral in the intervening decades. Kilmer himself is best known for his roles in Michael Mann's Heat, as well Batman Forever and Willow.
Miles Teller as Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw
A new character with strong ties to the original movie, Miles Teller's Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw is actually the son of Maverick's deceased former wingman, Goose. While Rooster initially resents Maverick, blaming him for being supposedly held back in his career, the two eventually become close, with Rooster even saving his Captain from a helicopter attack during the movie's climactic raid. Teller has been a regular performer in major Hollywood projects in recent years, including films such as War Dogs and Whiplash.
Jennifer Connelly as Penelope "Penny" Benjamin
Replacing Kelly McGillis' Charlie Blackwood, Penny Benjamin is a bar owner, daughter of a former admiral, and Maverick's love interest. As the drama unfolds, Penny provides crucial advice for Maverick as he attempts to navigate his relationships with the new recruits, especially Rooster. Jennifer Connelly's illustrious career has spanned nearly four decades, with projects as diverse as Requiem for a Dream, A Beautiful Mind and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Jon Hamm as Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson
One of the movie's more antagonistic presences, Vice Admiral "Cyclone" Simpson is extremely skeptical of Maverick's dangerous and seemingly foolhardy approach – voicing his concerns before the uranium facility mission. However, he is eventually won over, appointing him to lead the team. Jon Hamm is a movie and TV veteran, still perhaps best known for the role of advertising guru Don Draper in the much-vaunted series Mad Men.
Glen Powell as Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin
Fulfilling a similar role to Val Kilmer's original Iceman, Hangman is another daredevil pilot who regularly rubs up against Miles Teller's Rooster. Known for his arrogance, he too is quick to dismiss Maverick's methods and is initially cast in an unfavorable light. However, by the end of the movie, Hangman is eventually redeemed as he saves Maverick and Rooster during their escape from hostile territory.
Lewis Pullman as Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd
Another key mission candidate, Bob serves as Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) to Natasha "Phoenix" Trace. As part of the final mission, he and Phoenix are paired with Maverick. The 28-year-old actor has been involved in a number of interesting projects, including Bad Times at the El Royale and the TV adaptation of Catch-22, although his role in Top Gun: Maverick is probably his most significant yet.
Ed Harris as Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain
As the most high-profile authority figure, Rear Admiral Cain is a natural foil to the ever provocative Maverick. Early in the movie, Cain is determined to ground the controversial captain after his actions result in the destruction of a highly-valued "Darkstar" prototype. However, he is eventually persuaded by Iceman to transfer him to a new assignment. Ed Harris is one of the most experienced actors working in Hollywood, appearing in movies such as The Rock, A History of Violence and mother!
Monica Barbaro as Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace
As part of Captain Maverick's team for the final mission alongside "Bob" Floyd, Phoenix is one of the most important players in Top Gun: Maverick. Like her fellow mission candidates, she is initially disdainful of Maverick's credentials before observing him in action. Barbaro's filmography is still fairly limited, with Top Gun: Maverick marking only her second major appearance.
Charles Parnell as Rear Admiral Solomon "Warlock" Bates
One of the few authority figures who seem friendly towards Maverick, Rear Admiral Warlock is a key figure in organizing the mission against the uranium enrichment facility – alongside Jon Hamm's Cyclone. Warlock is actually the commander of Naval Education and Training Command, making him play a key role in Top Gun: Maverick's story. Actor Charles Parnell will be seen alongside Cruise once again for 2023's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, in an as-yet-undisclosed role.
Jay Ellis as Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch
Another Naval Aviator and Top Gun graduate, Payback works closely alongside his WSO Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia. The duo team up with Rooster for the film's main mission, highlighting his undoubted skill with an aircraft. Beyond Top Gun: Maverick, actor Jay Ellis is probably best known for his role in the 2019 horror movie Escape Room, as well as its sequel.
Danny Ramirez as Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia
The final member of Rooster's mission sub-team, Fanboy serves as the WSO to Payback. In addition to his role in the Tom Cruise movie, actor Danny Ramirez is probably most recognizable for his role in Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. However, he has also made appearances in shows such as Orange Is The New Black and On My Block.
Top Gun: Maverick's Supporting Cast & Characters
Manny Jacinto as Fritz – Jacinto's career has included a diverse array of movies and TV roles, including a credit alongside fellow Top Gun: Maverick actor Lewis Pullman in Bad Times at the El Royale. He is perhaps best known as Jason Mendoza on the NBC sitcom The Good Place.
Jack Schumacher as Lieutenant Neil "Omaha" Vikander – While Top Gun: Maverick is probably his most high-profile appearance to date, it is by no means Jack Schumacher's first foray into acting territory. The performer has previously appeared in both S.W.A.T and Chicago P.D, highlighting his genre credentials.
Greg Tarzan Davis as Lieutenant Javy "Coyote" Machado – Much like co-stars Cruise and Parnell, Davis will also make an appearance in 2023's Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. He has also recently taken a recurring role on the hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
Bashir Salahuddin as Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bernie "Hondo" Coleman – Although his role in Top Gun: Maverick is somewhat limited, Salahuddin has a range of high-profile acting credits to his name. The performer has appeared in everything from American Dad to GLOW, while also working as an actor and musician.
Jake Picking as Lieutenant Brigham "Harvard" Lennox – Pickering's other major credits include Robert de Niro's much-maligned 2016 comedy Dirty Grandpa and action-thriller Sicario: Day of the Soldado. He also played the lead role of Rock Hudson in the Ryan Murphy series Hollywood.
Raymond Lee as Lieutenant Logan "Yale" Lee – In addition to being one of Top Gun: Maverick's supporting players, Raymond Lee has had roles in several well-known projects. His credits include The Lost City and How I Met Your Mother.
Lyliana Wray as Amelia Benjamin, Penny Benjamin's daughter – A former child actress who found fame with a breakout role in 2016's Maximum Ride, Lyliana Wray has gone on to bolster her career with several prominent roles. Her most noteworthy is probably on the Nickolodeon revival of Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Jean Louisa Kelly as Sarah Kazansky, Iceman's wife – Kelly's career has incorporated a number of projects, on both the small and big screen. Her credits include both the original CSI and its spin-off CSI: Miami, as well as the hit 2021 horror movie Malignant.
Chelsea Harris as Flag Aide Angela Burke – Although she has several movie credits to her name, Harris is probably best known for her TV work. In recent years, her credits include the likes of Snowpiercer and Star Trek: Picard.
