Miles Teller is taking to the sky.
The actor is set to play Tom Cruise’s protégé in the Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, Variety reports. Teller, 31, will portray the son of Goose, originally played by Anthony Edwards in the 1986 classic.
In the original film, Goose dies in an accident and Maverick (Cruise) blames himself for the death.
Prior to Goose’s tragic death, the pilot and Maverick were the ultimate dynamic duo known for their catchphrase, “I feel the need… the need for speed.”
Other actors considered for the role were Hidden Figures’ Glen Powell and X-Men’s Nicholas Hoult, according to Variety.
Powell hilariously shared his reaction to the news on Twitter, writing, “I’m taking down all the Tom Cruise posters in my bedroom. Maybe, I’ll leave one. Two for symmetry. Okay, the posters are staying.”
Val Kilmer is expected to return for his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Maverick’s rival, the outlet reports.
Filming for the movie is already underway, with a release date of July 12, 2019, according to Deadline.
In May, Cruise, 56, shared the first photo from the set of Top Gun: Maverick. In the teaser image — posted to Cruise’s social media on “#Day1” of production for the 2019 release — the action star posed as his United States Naval Aviator Lieutenant character, aviators and all. Decked in his aviation gear and holding his helmet, Cruise gazed across the tarmac at a F-18 Tomcat (Maverick’s plane of choice in the original film).
Cruise labeled the picture “FEEL THE NEED,” referencing Maverick and Goose’s iconic quote.
Top Gun: Maverick is being helmed by filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, Cruise’s director on the 2013 sci-fi drama Oblivion. He has experience making sequels decades after their original release, having directed 2010’s Tron: Legacy.
Not much is known about the plot for the sequel, written by Eric Warren Singer (Only the Brave), Peter Craig (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Justin Marks (The Jungle Book).
According to Variety, Cruise’s character will now be an instructor, with the film exploring “a world of drone technology, fifth-generation fighters and the end of the era of dog-fighting.”
