Prime Gun and its sequel, Prime Gun: Maverick, characteristic a number of nice characters that make the 2 motion pictures beloved action-adventure releases. Tony Scott directed the unique Prime Gun with a younger Tom Cruise within the lead position as a younger naval officer with the decision signal of Maverick, who started coaching for the celebrated Prime Gun flight program.
One of many few motion pictures to have a sequel over 20 years after the unique, Prime Gun: Maverick arrived 36 years later with Tom Cruise again as a trainer, serving to to coach the brand new technology of TOPGUN graduates. These two motion pictures characteristic a number of nice characters, together with each pilots and commanding officers, however some are higher than others.
Goose
Anthony Edwards had a difficult position within the unique Prime Gun film. He was going to die, and it was Goose’s demise that raised doubt in Maverick’s thoughts and finally propelled him to greatness. This meant that he needed to seem as a likable character and be somebody the followers did not need to see die, serving to them share Maverick’s grief.
Edwards did an amazing job on this important position. Goose was Maverick’s radar intercept officer and finest pal when he died in an accident. Maverick was capable of eject from the airplane, however Goose slammed into the cover, dying on impression. Earlier than this, Goose and Maverick shared some nice scenes, and the reminiscence of this character drove each movies.
Viper
Tom Skerritt performed Viper within the first Prime Gun film, the commanding officer and teacher on the TOPGUN college. His character is extra nuanced due to his historical past as a Vietnam veteran who served alongside Maverick’s father, making him somebody who desires to see the impulsive younger pilot succeed.
Nevertheless, making him extra of a mentor character additionally lessens his impression on the movie’s stress, which is why he isn’t fairly as fascinating because the sequel’s Cyclone, who’s extra antagonistic towards Maverick.
Nevertheless, this additionally offers him some juicy scenes, equivalent to when he talks to Maverick about how the younger pilot’s father died in Vietnam, and he explains that there are occasions when folks die as heroes. It’s this second that helps push Maverick on, and it helps that Skerritt was the most effective actors in that first movie.
Hangman
Ever since his look in Prime Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell has develop into a large star. He went on to paved the way in Twisters, one other sequel to a beloved traditional film, and took on a job within the Stephen King adaptation The Operating Man in 2025. In Prime Gun: Maverick, Powell performs a recruit named Hangman.
Hangman takes on the identical antagonistic position towards Rooster that Val Kilmer took on within the first film for Maverick. He served as a foil character via a lot of the movie, as he bullied Rooster all through the movie, and none of his fellow recruits preferred him. Nevertheless, he did have a entertaining redemption arc within the third act of the film, so he emerged from it higher than he may have.
Cyclone
Cyclone was a slight antagonist in Prime Gun: Maverick. In contrast to Viper within the first film, Cyclone had no tender spot for Maverick and was primarily towards the veteran pilot coming in to assist educate the recruits. As an alternative, he pushed again and made issues harder for Maverick than they need to have been.
It’s important to have antagonistic characters pushing again towards the heroes. In contrast to Hangman, Cyclone was not as disruptive as a result of his pushback made extra sense because it wasn’t pushed by vanity. His character additionally improved all through the film, since he started to heat as much as Maverick when he lastly understood his model.
As with Tom Skerritt in Prime Gun, it additionally helps that Jon Hamm performs Cyclone, as he at all times brings one thing fascinating to all the things he does. What holds him down is that his character is thinly written, however Hamm does the perfect with what he’s given.
Hondo
Within the first Prime Gun film, Maverick had Viper at his again, pushing him on and giving him invaluable recommendation to assist him succeed on the TOPGUN academy and in life itself. Within the sequel, Prime Gun: Maverick, that position was performed by Bashir Salahuddin as Chief Warrant Officer Bernie Coleman.
Hondo confirmed from the beginning he had Maverick’s again as he helped him with the mission to go Mach 10 originally of the sequel. He put his profession on the road after which remained in Maverick’s nook for the remainder of the film.
Hondo is an fascinating character as a result of he’s there as one in every of Maverick’s solely mates in a film world the place it’s defined that Maverick struggles to keep up relationships. Whereas his backstory and significance had been by no means defined intimately, it was nonetheless good to see somebody have Maverick’s again.
Charlie
When Kelly McGillis performed Charlie within the first Prime Gun film, she grew to become a star because the love curiosity for Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Nevertheless, what actually makes her stand out as such an amazing supporting character was the comparability to the love curiosity in Prime Gun: Maverick, Penny.
Whereas Jennifer Connelly is a good actress, her character of Penny was paper-thin within the Prime Gun sequel and by no means matched the extent set by Kelly McGillis three many years earlier.
Nevertheless, Charlie was clever and fearless and proved she may cling in there with the flyboys, proving that she was greater than capable of put Maverick in his place when wanted. It was additionally good to see her as a lady able of authority in Prime Gun, able to main these younger pilots to greatness.
Rooster
Rooster was presupposed to be the massive new lead in Prime Gun: Maverick. He was the impulsive member of the group, very similar to Maverick had been years earlier than. Nevertheless, he additionally wanted to hold essentially the most emotional story of the film since his dad was Goose, and he blames Maverick for rising up with out a father.
Rooster had a difficult position within the new film, since he was the perfect pilot and had loads to show, however Maverick was overprotective since he did not need Rooster to face the identical destiny as Goose years earlier than. This triggered the central battle of the film, however it was typically exhausting to aspect with the cocky Rooster over the beloved Maverick.
It did assist that Miles Teller seemed like he could possibly be Anthony Edwards’ son, and his story and rivalry with Hangman had been the guts of the film, so he not less than served his position in that space, though he by no means matched as much as Tom Cruise earlier than him.
Phoenix
One of many vital points with the unique Prime Gun film was its lack of variety. Whereas Charlie was a powerful, highly effective lady in that movie, the category of pilots was all male and lacked ladies and other people of colour. Prime Gun: Maverick fastened that drawback, and the perfect new character was a feminine pilot referred to as Phoenix.
Performed by Monica Barbaro, Phoenix is likely one of the high pilots at TOPGUN, and she or he suits in together with her fellow teammates, together with beginning a pleasant friendship with Rooster. She can be a gun character, delivering sarcastic one-liners whereas avoiding bragging and making an attempt not to attract consideration to herself, letting her abilities do the speaking.
Phoenix can be a part of the most effective duos within the movie, as her chemistry with Lewis Pullman’s Bob is improbable, and it stays a spotlight anytime these two characters share the display.
Iceman
The selection for the perfect character within the first Prime Gun was at all times a troublesome selection between followers of Tom Cruise and his Maverick or the ultra-cool Val Kilmer and his antagonistic Iceman. By the point Prime Gun: Maverick got here out, much more folks had sided with Iceman as the good character in both film.
Nevertheless, sadly, Iceman had a small but important position within the sequel. Actor Val Kilmer, who had largely misplaced the usage of his voice as a consequence of most cancers, shared an emotional scene with Tom Cruise that solidified his significance to the franchise and confirmed followers why they liked him a lot.
Within the first movie, Iceman was antagonistic and performed the position that Hangman performed within the new film. Nevertheless, Iceman was drastically higher than Hangman in each method, thanks principally to Kilmer’s iconic efficiency within the position.
Maverick
The very best character within the Prime Gun motion pictures is well Maverick. Performed by Tom Cruise, Maverick was the hotshot younger pilot within the first film who was prepared to do something and sometimes acted impulsively, which led to tragedy when his companion Goose died in a airplane ejection.
Nevertheless, he was additionally somebody who realized from his losses and have become a greater pilot and teammate by studying from his errors. By the second film, he was older, however he was nonetheless principally impulsive and appeared to have regressed considerably because the first film.
Regardless of this, Tom Cruise’s star energy pushes Maverick to iconic standing, and it’s unimaginable to not get behind him in both Prime Gun film and cheer him on when he lastly achieves his goals.