The Top Gun sequel is coming in hot with not one, but two female pilots. Deadline reports that Kara Wang of the Freeform series Good Trouble will play the second female pilot announced in Top Gun: Maverick; the other will be portrayed by Monica Barbaro, who was already announced.
The Paramount movie announced the final seven cast members who will round out the sequel to the 1986 hit, including Jack Schumacher, who has appeared on FOX’s Empire and NBC’s Chicago P.D.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Greg Tarzan Davis (Chicago P.D.), Jake Picking (Blockers, Sicario: Day of the Soldado), Raymond Lee (Scandal, Here and Now), Jean Louisa Kelly (Ant-Man, The Fosters) and Lyliana Wray (CBS All Access‘ Strange Angel) will also be joining the cast of Top Gun: Maverick.
Many of the roles are being kept under wraps so as to not spoil any significant turning points in the plot, but the aforementioned actors will be joining the likes of Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Manny Jacinto and Barbaro. Teller will reportedly play the son of Maverick’s (Cruise) partner Goose, who died in the original film. Powell originally auditioned for the role and reportedly impressed producers so much that they cast him in another role instead.
Additionally, plot details have not yet been revealed, though rumors say Cruise’s lead character will now be an instructor at the Top Gun school and will serve as mentor to Teller’s character.
The highly-anticipated movie will be directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Peter Craig, Justin Marks and Eric Warren Singer. Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison will produce.
Originally slated for July 12, 2019, the sequel will now debut a year later than expected, on June 26, 2020. The extended time will reportedly help production get more time to master all the complex fight scenes aimed at delighting audiences around the world.
Kilmer confirmed his involvement in the movie in July, when he finally broke his silence following an early June report that he had signed on.
“I’m officially in the sequel to TOPGUN,” he tweeted, adding “[I’m] looking forward to working with Tom, Joe (Kosisnski) and Jerry (Bruckheimer), all such unique pros.”
In the original flick, Cruise and Kilmer’s characters, Maverick and Iceman, start off as rivals at the Top Gun school at the NAS Miramar, but end up finding a mutual respect for one another.
Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters June 26, 2020.
