The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Glen Powell, who was previously a finalist to play Goose's son, has joined the cast of Paramount's
Top Gun: Maverick in a key role. Further details are unavailable at this point in time, but the report adds that Powell impressed producers Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer so much during his audition earlier this summer that they insisted on beefing up his character's part in the script in order to cast him.
3x Academy Award-nominee Tom Cruise (
Mission: Impossible - Fallout) will headline the long-awaited sequel, reprising arguably his most iconic role to date as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and will be reunited with Val Kilmer (
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), who will reprise his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. The duo will be joined by Miles Teller (
Whiplash) as Goose's son and Academy Award-winner Jennifer Connelly (
Spider-Man: Homecoming) in an undisclosed lead role.
While THR was unable to provide a character description, Collider's Jeff Sneider did seemingly suggest on
Twitter that Powell may be playing a character named "Slayer." He's described as someone that "
was born to be a Naval aviator and he knows it. He's a cocky, self-righteous and an incredible aviator to back it up. He's used to being hated, envied or worshipped and he doesn't care, as long as he gets to fly."
Joe Kosinski (
Oblivion;
Only The Brave;
Tron: Legacy) is directing with a script from Peter Craig (
The Town), Justin Marks (
The Jungle Book), and Eric Warren Singer (
American Hustle). Jerry Bruckheimer is back on board as a producer alongside Cruise and David Ellison.
While
production began at the beginning of June with Cruise
filming scenes on a very familiar motorcycle, principal photography is not expected to begin with the entire cast until early next month. Plot details remain under wraps for now, but the film will reportedly be set in a world of drone technology and fifth generation fighters and will also explore the end of the era of dogfighting.
Powell is a rising star and recently starred in the Netflix romantic comedy
Set It Up opposite fellow up-and-comer Zoey Deutch. His past credits include
Sand Castle,
Hidden Figures,
Scream Queens,
Everybody Wants Some!!,
Ride Along 2,
The Expendables 3, and
The Dark Knight Rises.