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.
Then the dogfight began when the enemy launched SAMs and scrambled fifth-generation fighters to intercept Maverick's squadron. Every Navy F-18 had flares they used to divert enemy missiles but Rooster ran out when he was being targeted by an enemy plane. Maverick used his own plane to shield Rooster and was shot down.
The reason for her absence was explained in a conversation between Maverick and Penny Benjamin discussing Rooster. 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 blamed himself for the tragic death of his RIO, Goose during a training session in Top Gun, but it wasn't his fault, it was Iceman's.
It's not about “authority”, he asked for a favour. He has been in the Navy for decades, knew someone in the right position or senior enough - like a 4 star admiral - and just asked a favour. Four years is the length of a college degree in the US. So Rooster pursued a degree and reapplied.
Much of the drama comes when one of the students is revealed to be the son of Maverick's late friend, Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw from the original film. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw blames Maverick for his father's death and, as we eventually learn, resents him for interfering with his own military career.
While Maverick cannot help but feel protective of Rooster because of his traumatic history with his father, Rooster brawls his self-inflicted limitations to prove his worth as a pilot. Meanwhile, Hangman oozes unmatched confidence, but his cockiness holds him back from being a team player.
Marcus “Sundown” Williams
Sundown is thrust into a no-win situation when he becomes Maverick's new RIO right after Goose dies. He never stood a chance of vibing with a pilot who didn't know how to process his grief in a hypermasculine environment.
Sundown is first seen at the bar when LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell & LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw sing to Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood. He briefly sang solo to Charlie, with adequate talent. He was later temporarily assigned as Maverick's RIO shortly after Goose's death.
Hangman being Iceman's son perfectly explains nearly every element of Top Gun: Maverick's plot and surrounding secrecy.
A thrilling, flag-waving, homoerotic masterpiece from Tony Scott, Top Gun is recognised as one of the most defining moves of the 1980s, taking director Tony Scott and lead star Tom Cruise to new heights of success.
Related Articles. Amelia Benjamin is character in the feature film, Top Gun: Maverick. She is Penny Benjamin's daughter.
Is Penny Benjamin in the Original "Top Gun"? 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 the early part of Top Gun when a commanding officer is chewing out Maverick and Goose, he scolds Maverick for his history of high-speed passes — not just of air control towers but of "one admiral's daughter." This causes Goose to lean over to Maverick and whisper the name "Penny Benjamin" into his ear.
It is revealed that Iceman is dying of cancer and types out most of the conversation with Maverick, summoning the strength to speak in an emotional moment. Val Kilmer's own battle with throat cancer severely impacted his ability to speak.
Maverick Probably Couldn't Survive Ejecting At Mach 10
The relative weight and density of air outside the craft would kill the pilot instantly.
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.
An article by ScreenRant explains that the circumstances of Goose's death were based on real problems with the F-14, embedding the film's pivotal moment in grisly, tragic reality. In Top Gun, Maverick piloted the F-14 with Goose in the backseat as his trusty radar intercept officer (RIO) during a training exercise.
Top Gun visually represented this by having him throw Goose's dog tags into the ocean at the end of the film, indicating that he's let go of the guilt that he felt towards the accident (in reality, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer) is primarily to blame for the incident anyways).
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.
There was already an unspoken respect when they were enemies. Maverick and Iceman were so invested in beating each other because they knew how great the other one was.
Although the board of inquiry clears Maverick, Maverick is feeling guilty over the death of Goose and is unable to concentrate. He is thinking about quitting until he talks with Viper, who reveals that he had flown with Maverick's father.
Rooster finally accepted Maverick as a substitute parent, no longer blaming him for his dad's death.
At the end of Top Gun: Maverick, he now has a total of two confirmed air combat kills, with Maverick now totaling at five; making Maverick an "Ace".
Among Maverick's (Tom Cruise) trainees is a sly, charismatic pilot nicknamed “Hangman” (Glen Powell). Hangman essentially fills the same role that Iceman did in the original film; he picks on Rooster (Miles Teller), adding a sense of competition to Maverick's selection process. Hangman isn't just a duplicate of Iceman.