Tom Cruise held a moment of silence for the late Val Kilmer while on stage at Cinema Con.
Cruise, who appeared at the convention to introduce the trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, took a few moments to pay tribute to his former Top Gun co-star who passed away this week at the age of 65.
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick,” he told the audience (via Variety). “I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.”
Continued Cruise: “I wish you well on the next journey.”
Kilmer starred as naval aviator Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in 1986’s Top Gun, which propelled him into stardom. Funny enough, the pop culture legend was iffy about taking on the role – but was contractually obligated by Paramount at the time to do so (and we’re so glad he did). Kilmer reprised the role 36 years later for Top Gun: Maverick, in an emotional scene that sees Pete visit Iceman after hitting a crossroads in his life and career.
The reprisal echoed Kilmer’s real-life health struggles, with Ice struggling to speak before telling Pete that the world needs him. Kilmer had lost his voice after a battle with throat cancer in 2017, and used his electric voice box to deliver his lines in the 2022 movie, which were digitally edited for clarity. We’ll miss you, Iceman. You can be our wingman anytime.