Top Gun: Maverick is finally wowing crowds around the world, after months of COVID-19 related delays, thanks to its quotable lines breathtaking aerial sequences and dramatic soundtrack. The 1986 blockbuster, Top Gun, made stars like Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan and Val Kilmer household names.
Top Gun: Maverick sees Tom Cruise return over three decades later Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell alongside a host of young, talented actors. The sequel sees him training a new group of skilled pilots before embarking on a special assignment.
But who is joining Cruise in the sky? Here’s a who’s who in the Top Gun: Maverick cast, where you may have seen them before and where you may see them next.
10 Glen Powell
Glen Powell has built a solid career already at just 33. With roles in movies like Hidden Figures, Set It Up and Everybody Wants Some, we think he is going to have one of the biggest post-Top Gun: Maverick careers. Powell stars as the cocky Hangman, who is a cross of Maverick and Iceman. He is a lone wolf who makes his own rules with an ego to match Iceman. "He knows he’s the best, and he’s not here to make friends, he’s here to be team leader," Powell has described. Powell was actually originally called in to audition for Rooster, the role which went to Miles Teller.
"He would probably consider himself the greatest weapon the navy's ever produced," Powell explained. "He's a cocky pilot who has a good time flying. In a very intense movie, he's having the best time of anybody."
His next job sees him take to the skies again. His next role will be in Devotion, a film about a pair of U.S. Navy fighter pilots who risk their lives during the Korean War.
9 Miles Teller
Teller plays Rooster, son of Goose, Anthony Edwards' character from the original 1986 movie. Teller is one of the most recognizable stars of the new action film. He is best known for his performance in movies like Whiplash, The Spectacular Now and the Divergent franchise;
He also currently stars in the Paramount Plus original series The Offer. Next up he'll star alongside Chris Hemsworth in Spiderhead, directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and will voice the title character in The Ark and the Aardvark.
He told Men's Health that he was apprehensive about taking the role, because he didn't want it to make him too famous. "There was a part of me that didn't know if I wanted to be a part of something that could bring that much attention and success to me," he said. "When Tom Cruise handpicks you to be his co-star in a movie and to play the son of Goose, those are big shoes to fill. So I just felt like if Tom thinks I'm the right guy, then I think I'm the right guy too."
8 Lewis Pullman
Pullman plays Bob, who stands out amongst the hotshots for more socially awkward, quiet and not as overly confident in his skills. Ironically, Pullman is afraid of heights and struggled on set. "Dude, I puked so much... I'll be the first to admit it," he told TMZ.
Lewis Pullman currently stars in Outer Range and has previously had roles in Catch-22 as Major Major, Bad Times at the El Royale alongside Dakota Johnson and Chris Hemsworth and Battle of the Sexes.
Son of actor Bill Pullman, 29-year-old Lewis is set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot.
7 Monica Barbaro
Monica Barbaro plays a pilot named Phoenix, the only female aviator in the entire movie.
Monica Barbaro has been a regular on your TV screens for years, appearing in shows like UnREAL, Chicago P.D. and Stumptown, just to name a few. With Top Gun: Maverick, the 31-year-old is making her first jump to the big screen in a big way.
In 2018, Barbaro starred as Cora Vasquez, a homicide detective on The Good Cop, alongside Josh Groban and Tony Danza. She later had a recurring role as Lisa Apple in the ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together. Barbaro has told reporters when promoting the Top Gun sequel that she saw the first film in college and thought to herself, "Man, it'd be so cool to do a movie like that. But, you know, I never thought I would have a place in that."
6 Jay Ellis
Insecure fans will recognize Jay Ellis, who stars as Payback in the new movie. His most famous role was as Lawrence Walker on the HBO comedy. He has also had roles in Escape Room, Mrs. America and The Game. You can see him up next in Somebody I Used to Know alongside Alison Brie and Zoe Chao.
For Ellis this was more than a film role, as he has family with the same experiences as his character."My dad was in the Air Force, my grandfathers were in the Air Force, and it was just around you, every single day." He has also spoken about living on a range of different air force bases around the world, as a kid.
5 Greg Tarzan Davis
Currently starring as Dr. Jordan Wright in Grey’s Anatomy, Davis will also be seen alongside Tom Cruise in the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning.
The 28-year-old actor was relatively unknown before his role in the Top Gun sequel. His previous roles have included guest spots in Chicago PD, Grand Hotel and Good Trouble.
4 Jennifer Connelly
Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly has been a household name since her role in 1986's Labyrinth. She won an Oscar for her role in A Beautiful Mind, starred in Requiem for a Dream and blockbusters look Hulk and Blood Diamond. More recently she has been seen in the TNT series Snowpiercer.
In Top Gun: Maverick, Connelly plays Penny Benjamin, who has a romantic history with Maverick. "You get the sense that they sort of come together, they have this sort of fiery romance then it falls apart. But they keep coming back to each other."
3 Danny Ramirez
29-year-old Danny Ramirez plays Fanboy, named for his enthusiasm and passion for flying. He is best known for his role as Wes in The Gifted and Mario Martinez in Netflix comedy On My Block.
For action fans, you may have seen him in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier as First lieutenant Joaquin Torres. The Chicago-born actor's next projects include drama Root Letter, Plus/Minus with Lili Reinhart and Chesnut alongside Natalia Dyer.
2 Manny Jacinto
Manny Jacinto was one of the breakouts of NBC comedy The Good Place, where he played the lovably dim Jason Mendoza. Since the hit show ended he has kept busy, working across film and TV.
He starred in Amazon's romcom I Want You Back, Netflix's horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor and Nine Perfect Strangers, alongside Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy.
Jacinto plays Fritz in Top Gun: Maverick. Considering how recognizable the actor is, his role in the film is minor. The Filipino-born actor will soon be seen in The Knife, sports thriller Balestra and comedy Cora Bora.
1 Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm became an international star thanks to his role as Don Draper in Mad Men. He also starred in Baby Driver and led a cult in comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Hamm plays the antagonistic Cyclone, a stoic and stern admiral, who clashes with the rule-breaking Maverick. “The last thing you want to do when you’re playing somebody who’s the guy that makes the rules is to play it as a one note kind of a fuddy-duddy,” Hamm said in an interview with Esquire.
Hamm has spoken about how he jumped at the opportunity to be in a Top Gun film before even seeing the script or his salary, due to being such a big fan of the original '80s film.
