Tom Cruise insisted that Val Kilmer appear in the ‘Top Gun’ sequel, according to a producer: ‘He was the driving force’

• Jerry Bruckheimer told People that Tom Cruise insisted Val Kilmer appear in the "Top Gun" sequel.
• The producer said Cruise was "very adamant" that a sequel couldn't happen without Kilmer.
• Kilmer's son revealed that the actor is excited to return in the sequel.
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Jerry Bruckheimer, who's a producer on the upcoming "Top Gun" sequel, told People that Tom Cruise was the "driving force" behind getting Kilmer to return for the movie.

In the classic 1986 movie about students at the United States Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School, Kilmer played U.S. Navy Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, a rival to Cruise's Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. In 2018, Kilmer broke the news that he was going to appear in the sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," but the announcement post on Facebook was deleted shortly after.

Bruckheimer told People that Cruise "really wanted" Kilmer to appear in the new movie.

"He said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,'" the producer said. "And he was the driving force. We all wanted him, but Tom was really adamant that if he's going to make another 'Top Gun', Val had to be in it."

Bruckheimer continued: "He's [Kilmer] such a fine actor, and he's such a good individual. We had such a good time on the first one and wanted to bring some of the gang back together again."

The "Top Gun" producer also said that the reunion of the two "Top Gun" stars was "very emotional" for them. He added: "It was a really emotional experience for all of us. It was a long time getting there, but we did."

Jack Kilmer, the actor's son, also told People that Kilmer is excited about the sequel.

"They honor the legacy of Iceman, and he [Kilmer] was so stoked by it," Jack said about his father.

Due to tracheostomy to treat his throat cancer, Kilmer's speaking voice has been permanently damaged. However, fans will be able to hear his voice again, as British firm Sonantic have recreated it using AI. According to The Independent, the "Top Gun" sequel will use AI to recreate his voice as well.

"Top Gun: Maverick" is due to be released in theaters on November 19. The sequel sees the return of the "Mission Impossible" star as Maverick 30 years after the events of the first movie, training a new squad of pilots for a dangerous mission.