Top Gun 2: Kelly McGillis reveals she was SNUBBED from Tom Cruise sequel return

Earlier this month, the first trailer for Top Gun: Maverick was debuted by Tom Cruise at San Diego Comic-Con. And while Val Kilmer’s Ice Man will be back, 1986 original co-star Kelly McGillis has not been asked to reprise her role as Maverick’s love interest Charlie Blackwood. Instead, Jennifer Connelly has taken that role, but as a different character. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, McGillis revealed she is still open to being in Top Gun 2.

The 62-year-old said: “You know what, I don’t know how to answer that because one, it hasn’t happened.

“Two, if and when it did happen, I would have to assess where I am, what I’m doing, what’s going on.

“I can’t project what I would or wouldn’t do in the future.

“I have no idea because I don’t know where I’ll be.”

On Maverick’s leather jacket, two patches have been removed. Interestingly, they are the Japanese and Taiwanese flag, which appears to be to keep the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s censors happy.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “The suspicions have been heightened by the fact Tencent Pictures, the film division of Chinese internet giant Tencent, is a co-financier of the new Top Gun movie. Tencent also is a part-owner of David Ellison’s Skydance, which is co-producing the film with Paramount…

“Hollywood studios have for years avoided storylines, characters or even visual elements that could conceivably cause offence to either Beijing authorities or nationalistic segments of the Chinese audience.

“Given Beijing’s historically fraught relationship with both Taiwan and Japan, the reference to Washington’s military alliance with Taipei and Tokyo on Cruise’s original bomber jacket very well could catch the attention of Beijing censors and Chinese filmgoers, who are no less eagle-eyed in their scrutiny of film details than American fans appear to be.”

Top Gun: Maverick is released in UK cinemas on July 17, 2020.