Val Kilmer Spotted Amid ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Buzz, and Fans Are Concerned

Just when the buzz for the Top Gun sequel has reached its highest peak yet, Val Kilmer was spotted walking in New York City days after the Top Gun: Maverick trailer dropped at San Diego Comic-Con. The 59-year-old, who confirmed in 2017 that he was diagnosed with throat cancer, wasn’t too responsive to a fan on the street that captured him on video.

Kilmer was wearing jeans, a short-sleeved button-down shirt, a Clippers hat and what looked like a trachea breathing device in the photo published by Page Six.

The actor was also spotted on July 20 attending The NOVUS SDG Moonshots Summit at the United Nations, where he wore a black suit with a light button-down shirt and colorful ascot.

While rumors have circulated about Kilmer’s health, the actor frequently takes to his Facebook account to combat fake news. Earlier this month, he wrote, “I guess there’s some rumor I’ve passed on but I’m alive and well friends.”

He also posted a link to celebrate the new trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, which debuted at Comic-Con along with a surprise visit from Maverick himself, Tom Cruise. Kilmer played opposite Cruise in the iconic 1986 film as Iceman, and was previously confirmed to return to the sequel.

“You up for this one, Maverick?” Kilmer wrote alongside the trailer on Facebook on Thursday.

The Hollywood Reporter said in June that Kilmer would return for the sequel, a comeback that had been in the rumor mill for many years. In 2015, he mentioned the possibility on Facebook, revealing that he was excited to inhabit the role of Iceman once again.

“I just got offered [Top Gun 2],” he wrote at the time. “Not often you get to say ‘yes’ without reading the script.” Four years later, Kilmer’s post will finally bear fruit.

In 2017, Kilmer told THR about his battle with throat cancer and that he spent two years undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. He said he learned a lot about himself and his family throughout the ordeal, and that he learned not to take himself so seriously. “I was too serious,” he admitted. “I’d get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way.”

Top Gun: Maverick is slated for a 2020 release.