Val Kilmer’s return to the Top Gun franchise was somewhat of a miracle. Several years ago, the actor seemingly disappeared from the public eye as reports surfaced of his throat cancer diagnosis. This led many to call his acting career into question, including his participation in Top Gun: Maverick. Despite all that, Kilmer has managed to keep working while dealing with his health issues. With the Top Gun sequel months away, the Birthday Cake star decided to unleash an unexpected gift for his fans – the return of his voice. It was reconstructed through AI with amazing results viewers should hear.
That’s right! Moviegoers will once again hear Val Kilmer’s light and deep voice. Unfortunately, Kilmer’s throat cancer battle took away his ability to express himself vocally. Thankfully, he teamed up with AI company Sonantic to let fans hear his voice once more. In an online video, the Top Gun: Maverick star’s AI voice shared his journey after his cancer battle:
A phrase we often hear is… 'Having a creative voice.' But I was struck by throat cancer. After being treated… my voice as I knew it, was taken away from me. People around me struggle to understand me when I’m talking. But despite all that, I still feel I’m the exact same person… But now I can express myself again.
Val Kilmer’s words were both reassuring and saddening to his fans. Kilmer being more open about his cancer battle marked a change from his initial denials. Even as an AI voice, the Top Gun: Maverick star seemed more than ready to communicate with his devoted fans as if cancer never affected his voice. At least moviegoers can now “hear” the actor’s signature voice again. To hear Kilmer’s docile and clear tone come through once more, check out the game-changing collaboration below:
Hearing Val Kilmer’s voice once more will surely make a lot of fans emotional. His gentle and authoritative voice seemingly elicits memories of the original Top Gun, Tombstone and The Prince of Egypt. While AI can be robotic and cold at times, this special collaboration replicates the warm and husky tone of Kilmer’s voice, while simultaneously showing how masterful Sonantic is in its field. Hopefully, this is just a preview of what fans can expect from Kilmer and the AI company down the road.
While viewers wait to hear more from Val Kilmer’s AI voice, they can hear some of this work in the actor’s Hulu documentary Val. Thankfully, Kilmer has other projects coming down the pipeline. Fans can get to know him even more before he reprises his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick. After a year of delays, the Top Gun sequel will finally arrive in theaters on November 19.
