Top Gun: Maverick: Miles Teller talks playing Goose’s son in the sequel

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

One of my most anticipated films of the summer was TOP GUN: MAVERICK and I was thoroughly upset when the film initially got shifted to December of this year to only get moved again to the summer of 2021. The upside is that we have something to look forward to next summer and one of the film's stars, Miles Teller, has seen the film recently and he admits to being blown away by the final product.

Miles Teller plays the role of the son of the fan-favorite character Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. Anthony Edwards portrayed the character thirty-four years ago in the original TOP GUN and Teller leads a new generation of aviators under the tutelage of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise. During a chat with "Men's Journal", Teller explained the importance of the role for him and the audience and shared his reaction to seeing the film for the first time:

"Playing Goose's kid and getting to continue that storyline that was established in such a powerful way all those years ago, there is a lot of history there. I think when audience realizes the character I play is that tiny kid they saw in the original, it is going to hit. I was able to see it a couple weeks ago. The movie just blew me away, and my wife said, "That might be the best film I have ever seen." She was crying multiple times."

Teller also went on to discuss the use of practical effects in the film and revealed that the movie features real plane stunts performed in the air rather than using CGI. The actor believes that the film's reliance on playing the action real in-camera will help the sequel stand up as a classic when it's all said and done:

"I don't think it would be possible to recreate what we did with all of the practical flying. You hope to be part of something that lasts forever. I think that we might have done that. It is fun, entertaining, emotional, and high-octane. There is a lot of heart in the story, and I can't wait for people to see it. For fans of the original, I think they are going to be grinning from ear-to-ear the whole time. This is going to give them what they want."

In order to make their portrayals completely realistic in the film, the actors had to undergo intent training before they were allowed anywhere near the planes. Teller explains that he had to pass the Naval Aviation Survival Training course in San Diego in order to prepare for his role, including learning every protocol in case he ever had to eject over the ocean:

"They drag you across the water, they flip you on your bag, they want to see you able to get out of your harness and much more. That all leads up to the big test they put you through, which is called "The Dunker," where they put you into a modified helicopter, strap you to a chair, and then submerge this tank underwater. They blindfold you. Give you a chance to grab your last breath and then they take you down under the surface. Once you are under, they start to flip the tank and you have to prove you can go through the right operations to get out, as calmly as possible. Your partner is in there with you, and together you have to break open the hatch. It feels like some sort of torture chamber to a degree."

TOP GUN: MAVERICK takes place decades after the original film and the sequel still finds Maverick (Tom Cruise) is still one of the navy's best pilots. He is where he belongs, continuing to push the envelope rather than taking a cushy desk job. The sequel soon finds him training a new generation of pilots and wounds from the past threaten to derail that training. The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, also stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. 

Are YOU all in on TOP GUN: MAVERICK? The sequel hits screens on July 2, 2021.