Val Kilmer’s Death: Exploring Late Actor’s Last Scene in Top Gun: Maverick; Saying Goodbye to Iceman

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.

Val Kilmer, known for his roles in Tombstone and Batman Returns, passed away at the age of 65 after battling pneumonia. The actor stepped into the industry in the 80s and marked his last onscreen appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, where he reprised his iconic role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. 

In the original Top Gun, the actor played Tom Cruise’s character’s rival. However, by the end of the first movie, the characters had patched up and had become good friends.

With Kilmer’s return to the second film of the franchise, the fans were excited to have a glimpse of him on the big screen but also looked forward to Iceman and Pete Mitchell, played by Cruise. 

For the plot of the movie, the official synopsis read, “Thirty years of service leads Maverick to train a group of elite TOPGUN graduates to prepare for a high-profile mission while Maverick battles his past demons.”

As for Kilmer’s part, Kazansky is known to have taken the commander’s role at the NAS North Island, keeping his career alive. The actor’s role in the film mirrored his real life, as the character too has throat cancer and dies at the end of the film. 

During the filming of the second movie, Kilmer was suffering from the disease and had completely lost his voice after the surgery. In most of his scenes, the actor was seen typing to communicate with Maverick. In the last clip, the makers used technology to provide voice and dialogue to the character as he meets with Cruise’s Mitchell. 

Kilmer opened up about his diagnosis in 2017 and shared that his health had been deteriorating. Following the death of the veteran star, tributes have been pouring in from the celebrities of the industry.

ALSO READ: Val Kilmer’s Extreme Method Acting Technique Resurfaces Amid Death; Actor Filled His Bed With Ice For THIS Film