When Tom Cruise rode onto the big screen in Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel in the works for more than 35 years, there was one big question mark. What was going to happen to the role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, played by the inimitable Val Kilmer. In the 36 years between Top Gun and Maverick, Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer. The cancer robbed him of his voice.
So, when Cruise cruised in on those helicopters and P-51s, his fans wondered whether Kilmer would make an appearance in the sequel.
He did.
The writers of Top Gun: Maverick took a leaf out of Kilmer’s real life and wove it into the story of Iceman. Iceman mirrored Kilmer’s throat cancer. He communicated with Maverick by typing instead of speaking.
When Maverick, a mess, goes to Iceman to discuss his dilemma, Iceman types, “It’s time to let go.”
Then, after Maverick bares his heart on why he is a naval aviator and not a teacher, Kilmer speaks. What follows is an emotional dialogue sequence between Kilmer and Cruise – Iceman and Maverick – on life, the Navy, and flying.
“The Navy needs Maverick. The kid needs Maverick. That’s why I fought for you. That’s why you’re still here… One last thing, who’s the better pilot, you or me?”
Maverick retorts, “This is a nice moment. Let’s not ruin it.”
Kilmer’s voice in the film was the result of hours of research by a voice synthesis company, Sonantic.
In August 2021, seven years after his throat cancer treatment, Kilmer announced that he was letting AI find him a voice. Kilmer had partnered with Sonantic to create an AI-powered speaking voice for himself.
Hours of archival footage featuring his speaking voice were fed into the company’s algorithms and turned into a model. The “most expressive” voice was chosen from among 40 voices. That became Kilmer’s post-cancer voice.
Kilmer said in a statement then, “I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible. As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”
Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top Gun, 1986. Photo: Instagram/Tom Cruise
The Kilmer and Cruise nostalgia hit home. Millions of people flocked to theatres across the world and made Top Gun: Maverick a blockbuster. Emotions ran unchecked in cinemas; the box office responded. Top Gun: Maverick grossed a total of $1.496 billion at the theatres. It was perhaps an even bigger rage than the original.
When Kilmer played Iceman one last time on the big screen, little did his fans know that it was going to be his last time on the big screen.
Val Kilmer breathed his last on April 1, 2025.
