Though time may be marching on with the 2025 movie schedule, the recent death of Val Kilmer has seen fans and colleagues alike taking a moment to pause in honor of his legacy. During the recent CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, Tom Cruise’s fond tribute to Kilmer acted as a reverent reminder of the two actors’ time on Top Gun.
Not too long after that stirring moment from Paramount’s CinemaCon 2025 panel, Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell offered his fond memories during ET’s post-event interview. Recalling the day when Kilmer’s Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky made his memorable appearance in the 2022 legacy-quel, Powell started by offering this praise:
Val was incredible, and that was a really surreal day when we got to have all the originals on set.
A touching moment where Tom Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell shared one final moment with his wingman for life, fans got an unexpected moment of emotion recalling the 1986 original. Glen Powell’s lessons from Tom Cruise on making movies wasn’t the only practical experience he got from Top Gun: Maverick.
The history of Iceman and Maverick’s last goodbye was very much in mind as Powell was on hand to witness it taking shape. Providing even more context for his anecdote from Val Kilmer’s day on the Maverick set, The Running Man star provided these reflections:
It was really cool as a young actor to be on that set already. But then to kind of be reminded of the legacy you were stepping into. And Val, you know, that was a big part of his life, that movie really shot him out of a cannon and really made him a star.
Glen Powell would certainly know a thing or two about that sensation, as Top Gun: Maverick led to all sorts of opportunities. Not only would the prodigal Texan go on to star in smash hits like Anyone But You and Twisters, but the long-awaited legacy-quel actually led to Powell’s involvement with The Blue Angels documentary.
Closing his story out, Glen Powell shared this final bit of praise for the late Real Genius star that's pretty much a universally held belief:
He’ll be really missed, he was a really sweet man.
There have been quite a few tributes to Val Kilmer and his presence, and there are bound to be many more in the days to come. As the man who Batman Forever co-star Jim Carrey called “a generational talent,” one could only expect that sort of outpouring for a one-of-a-kind actor who had a grounded grasp on life. Through recollections like Glen Powell’s, the lessons he had to offer were clearly learned and taken to heart, and will be for as long as he’s remembered.
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