Miles Teller has said that playing Goose’s son in Top Gun: Maverick was really emotional for him. Teller is most recognized for his parts in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash as a mentally traumatized drummer and the popular coming-of-age film The Spectacular Now. Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in the 1986 film Top Gun, perished during a training exercise when he and Tom Cruise’s Maverick ejected from their plane, only for Goose’s head to collide with the jet’s canopy, killing him instantly.
Teller discussed the significance of the role for him and the audience in an interview with “Men’s Journal” and expressed his response to viewing 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.”
Miles Tiller believes it would be impossible to repeat all they achieved in terms of practical flying. He stated that one wishes to be a part of something that lasts forever, and he believes they may have accomplished this. The film is described as “fun, entertaining, emotional, and high-octane,” according to the actor. He remarked that the narrative has a lot of heart and that he is excited for people to witness it. He believes that fans of the original will be smiling from ear to ear the entire time. He stated that the film will provide them with what they desire.
Teller notes that in order to prepare for his part, he had to complete the Naval Aviation Survival Training school at San Diego, which included studying every routine 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 had mixed reviews at first, but was praised for its technical prowess, particularly when it came to the film’s action-packed airborne acrobatics and use of practical effects. Goose’s death, on the other hand, is a cinematic memory that is frequently discussed, as it was many people’s first on-screen death of a kind, caring character who the viewer grew to enjoy but lost soon after. Even if it has been over thirty years in the making, Teller playing his son, a character spectators briefly met as a youngster in the original film, may bring much-deserved closure.
Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Manny Jacinto, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, and Jay Ellis star in Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie. On July 2, 2021, the film will be released in cinemas.
