Reboot fatigue? The world may quite be there yet, especially after seeing the nostalgia-filled trailer for Top Gun 2: Maverick. Thirty years since the aviator movie flew into theaters (sorry), Tom Cruise's Maverick is back and, apparently, as rebellious as ever. Sure, Cruise still looks great in the cockpit, but he's not the actor to whom my attention was drawn during the new trailer. Instead, I was focused on Set It Up's Glen Powell, who appears onscreen for mere seconds. But what an appearance!
The Top Gun sequel trailer shows Maverick being reprimanded by Ed Harris for not ascending the ranks and staying a captain for the last 30 years. Maverick doesn't give two effs about that, because he's Maverick, and, let's be honest, is probably going to get a promotion by the end of the film after he does something heroic. (Character arc, established.) Midway through the trailer, though, the movie introduces us, extremely briefly, to Powell's character.
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Powell doesn't even have a line in the new trailer, but as the music swells, we see him tossing around a football and yelling with enthusiasm on the beach, evoking memories of that infamaous beach volleyball scene from the OG film. He's a sun-soaked, glistening beach bro reminding us of Val Kilmer's Iceman. I don't know anything more about him, but he's already my favorite character, by virtue of him being Glen Powell: Netflix rom-com bae.
The movie loves him, too — why else would it feature Powell, but not a single clip of Miles Teller, who is playing the son of the late Goose (Anthony Edwards) in the film? Powell was up for the role of Goose's son as well, but lost out to Teller. Producers loved Powell so much, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that not only did they find another role for him to play, but they decided to beef up the part. He definitely looks beefed up!
Outside of Top Gun: Maverick, Powell can be seen in Wanna F*** Your Brother, a new movie about a guy who gets a job at his sister's law firm where all the women are very much interested in their new co-worker. He'll also appear opposite Zoey Deutch for another Netflix comedy, tentatively called The Most Dangerous Game.
We're gunning for Powell to be the breakout star of Top Gun: Maverick. Can you tell? Check out the trailer below. Top Gun 2: Maverick hits theaters 2020.