Tom Cruise’s Top Gun is considered one of the timeless classics in the actor’s filmography. One can understand its fanbase by looking at the box office figures of the sequel Top Gun: Maverick which earned more than $1 Billion even after being released more than three decades later. But the long time gap also led to the absence of many iconic faces who played crucial roles in the 1986 movie. One of them is the unforgettable Goose played by Anthony Edwards.
Nick “Goose” Bradshaw is one of the main reasons, the 1986 Tony Scott directorial is still so close to the fans. But the character faced a shocking and unfortunate demise in the first movie that led to his absence in the sequel. Looks like Edwards wanted heartily to return to his iconic role as the actor openly mocked Cruise in 2017 for not calling him for the film.
Not only Goose but many of the OGs failed to make a return in the Joseph Kosinski directorial. But it feels like Anthony Edwards figured out an amazing way for his character to return to the sequel.
How could Anthony Edwards return in Top Gun: Maverick?
Top Gun was a significant project for everyone involved in the 1986 project. Starring Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Meg Ryan, the movie turned out to be a smasher hit. Despite getting mixed reviews, it made a huge impact and retained its popularity for more than 30 years.
But unfortunately, the sequel didn’t show Anthony Edwards who expected Tom Cruise and Miles Teller to bring him back as “Ghost Goose”. It was in June 2017 when Cruise made details of the sequel public. Soon after that when Anthony Edwards was asked about it during his visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he humorously mocked the Ethan Hunt star for not calling him for the sequel.
“And now that it’s been announced they are making a sequel, I have just one question: Why didn’t I get a call? Do I have to remind them that I was in the movie too? That’s right, I died. But just because I’m dead, doesn’t mean that I can’t be in the sequel. I have two words for you: Ghost Goose.”
It can’t be denied that this was undoubtedly a good idea for bringing him back in Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel instead showed Goose’s son Bradley played by Miles Teller. His “Rooster” was also praised heavily which even led him to pitch a Top Gun: Rooster.
But the absence of Goose didn’t let our Maverick Mitchell sit still as he arranged a private screening of Top Gun: Maverick for Anthony Edwards.
Did Anthony Edwards love the sequel?
Top Gun: Maverick gained unanimous praise with most people even praising it to be better than the original. The movie broke several box office records earning around $1.5 Billion and was also hailed as the ‘Savior of Cinema’ after the global pandemic.
Anthony Edwards also joined in the praise after he appreciated Tom Cruise for arranging a private screening for him and spoke highly of the movie.
“If you do the first movie, you’re lucky enough. I was lucky enough that Tom called me up. He screened it for me in person. It was fantastic.”
Also Read: Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun’ Had a Tragic Behind the Scenes Death That History Forgot
The Mark Greene actor praised how the movie successfully kept the essence of the first movie and turned out to be an amazing project. Top Gun: Maverick also earned six Oscar Nominations with the win for Best Sound.
Both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick can be streamed on Paramount+.
Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
