Maverick pulled Rooster's application to the Naval Academy, which cost the younger pilot four years of his career. What Rooster didn't know is that Maverick did it because his mother, Carole Bradshaw (Meg Ryan), who is now dead, didn't want Rooster to become a pilot like his dad.
As a result of this, Carole made Maverick promise to do what he could to prevent Bradley from flying, as she didn't want for him to possibly share his father's fate. This led to Maverick pulling Bradley's admission papers to the Naval Academy, causing a deep rift to form between the two.
Not only does Rooster hold a grudge against Maverick for his father's death, but also for Maverick pulling his admission papers from the US Naval Academy years earlier; which set Rooster back in his career four years. Rooster doesn't know that Maverick did this in his best interest and at the request of his mother.
Pulling papers means pulling out his application for admission.
Maverick Couldn't Pull Rooster's Application (But Iceman Could) However, Rooster's anger at Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick doesn't really add up. Pulling Rooster's papers was really on Iceman since Maverick, a Captain and a test pilot, would never end up on the admissions committee in Annapolis.
Rooster on the other hand had never been trained on the F-14, and never knew to even check. So in effect, neither of them armed their respective seats, and therefore, could not eject no matter how hard they tugged those ejection handles.
While Hangman gets the upper hand for his sturdy hold on the control wheel and ability to thrive under pressure, Rooster's comradeship and receptiveness make him a force to be reckoned with.
Rooster's animosity with Maverick stemmed from the fact that his father, Goose, died in 1986 on Maverick's watch, but there was also a second reason. Maverick pulled Rooster's application to the Naval Academy, which cost the younger pilot four years of his career.
When Rooster is selected to be part of the group of pilots Maverick is training, Maverick is admittedly apprehensive, as he still carries guilt over Goose's death. Rooster, in return, resents Maverick for road-blocking his application to the naval academy, setting his career back years.
However, a popular theory explains who Hangman is and why Iceman wants Maverick to come back after all these years. The theory states that Rooster isn't the only son of a Top Gun alumni and that Top Gun: Maverick will ultimately unveil that Hangman is Iceman's son. On a surface level, this theory makes sense.
Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw blames Maverick for his father's death and, as we eventually learn, resents him for interfering with his own military career.
Who Are Rooster's Parents? Rooster's parents are Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) and Carole Bradshaw (Meg Ryan). In the first "Top Gun," Goose is a Radar Intercept Officer in the US Navy who works alongside Maverick at the TOPGUN flight school.
In Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise's character is considered a legend thanks to his five confirmed kills, a detail that has sparked debate regarding whether real-life fighter pilots count their kills. Top Gun: Maverick is not a realistic war movie.
The character is passionate about flying and being promoted to a higher position would mean that he would essentially become an officer behind a desk — making important decisions instead of being on the ground.
He survives without injury, which is great, but it's solely due to movie magic. “At that air speed, his body would splatter like a chainmail glove swatting a worm. Just sayin',” Tyson tweeted on October 9. Mach 10.5 is equivalent to about 7,980 miles per hour, or 10.5 times the speed of sound.
Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, is not physically in the first "Top Gun" movie, but she does exist in it, though only mentioned in passing. She is never actually seen on screen.
In actuality, it was Tom "Iceman" Kazansky's (Val Kilmer) fault.
As for who was at fault for the death of Goose, that's more difficult to pinpoint. Maverick blamed himself, as he shouldn't have been as close as he was to Iceman. Although a trial soon determined that Maverick was not to blame for the accident as he couldn't have possibly regained control of the jet.
Duke Mitchell was a U.S. naval aviator who was killed-in-action during the Vietnam War. He is the father of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
If you simply ejected at Mach 10 using a regular jet's ejection system, or even a pressure suit, you would not survive.
It was revealed that Carole had passed away in the intermediary time between movies and that Maverick had promised her he would keep Rooster from flying. Maverick tried to honor his promise by pulling Rooster's application to the Naval Academy. In doing so, Rooster was ultimately set back four years.
Although he clashed with Maverick initially, Hangman embodies his instructor's spirit by disobeying orders.
According to the New York Times, Top Gun: Maverick's original script also had Hangman later say it stood for "Big ol' balls," while Outkast's iconic anthem “B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)” could also have inspired the callsign.
Top Gun: Maverick
Maverick admits that before she died, Carole made him promise that he would do what he could to prevent Rooster from becoming a fighter pilot, as Carole didn't want Rooster to have the same fate as his father.
Quotes. Lt. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin : [after destroying the plane that almost killed Maverick and Rooster] Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, this is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return the tray tables to their locked an upright positions and prepare for landing.