Heartwarming way Val Kilmer ended up starring in Top Gun sequel despite having no voice

The Top Gun sequel reportedly wouldn't have happened without Val Kilmer in it.

Released in 2022, Top Gun: Maverick went on to receive critical acclaim despite the second film coming almost 40 years after the original 1986 classic.

It went on to become one of the highest grossing movies that year.

Of course Tom Cruise reprised his role of Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, and Kilmer, who sadly died at the age of 65 yesterday (April 1), wanted a piece of the action too.

Kilmer shot to fame in the first film as Maverick's initial enemy Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky - a role that put him on the Hollywood map.

With this in mind, he was very keen to return as Iceman in the sequel. However, his lack of voice could have been a problem.

Kilmer's vocal cords were damaged following a tracheostomy, which he needed as a result of his 2014 throat cancer diagnosis.

But Kilmer and Cruise didn't want this to prevent him from returning as Iceman in the Top Gun sequel.

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Speaking on the matter, Kilmer penned in his memoir: "Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.

"It didn't matter that the producers didn't contact me. As The Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘Ain't too proud to beg.’"

It turns out that production didn't need to contact him though as Cruise was already on the case.

The actor reprised his role of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)

Jerry Bruckheimer was one of the producers of Top Gun: Maverick alongside Cruise.

"[Cruise] said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,'" Bruckheimer told People in 2021.

"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 added of Kilmer: "He's 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."

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise seen on the set of the original Top Gun (Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Modern day technology helped Kilmer return as Iceman. British AI company Sonantic used recordings from his acting career to recreate his voice and make different voice models for him.

"I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible," Kilmer said after they created a series of different voices for him.

He added: "As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me.

"The chance to tell my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."