Val Kilmer's return as Iceman was one of the most emotional moments of Top Gun: Maverick. Iceman’s presence is felt throughout the movie as he texts Tom Cruise’s Mav, but around halfway through, the pair reunite in person at his home. The poignant moment featured Ice giving his old wingman some advice over working with Rooster. However, the scene had an extra layer of emotion as Ice is only able to speak through his computer due to his battle with cancer.
Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has now shared actor Kilmer’s reaction to the scene, admitting he was very nervous to show it to him. "I do remember showing it to Val for the first time," Kosinski told The Hollywood Reporter. "That’s a very distinct memory because he came in to watch parts of the film. So that was one scene I wanted him to see, and obviously, we were all a little nervous showing it to him just because we really wanted him to like it."
However, the director admits the nerves soon abated as Kilmer had a "beautiful" response to seeing it. "He was so happy and so moved by it that it made us all feel really good and that maybe we had gotten it right," Kosinski added.
Kilmer has had his own health battle, taking a step back from acting in recent years as he battled throat cancer. In 2020, the actor confirmed he’d been cancer-free for four years, but his voice had been impacted by his illness.
Kosinski previously told the Inside Total Film podcast how it was a "very emotional" day on set filming the scene. He said: "To do it with him playing Iceman and to be able to do it in a scene where he and Tom are together, two people who have so much respect for each other, and to have it be a reunion of not only two characters, but two men in real life… [It was a] really emotional day, a really memorable day on set."
Top Gun: Maverick is now available for purchase on streaming. Check out our guide to 2022 movie release dates to see what else is coming out this year.
