Hollywood star Tom Cruise is reportedly furious over a suggestion to use AI technology to digitally recreate his late friend and Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer in the upcoming Top Gun 3.
According to exclusive sources from the Daily Mail, the 62-year-old actor “jumped to his feet” and “let rip” during a pre-production meeting when the idea was floated.
“You could almost hear a pin drop,” a source claimed. “Tom’s face said it all—he was livid.”
Kilmer’s Final Flight in Top Gun: Maverick
Kilmer, who passed away in April 2024 at the age of 65 due to pneumonia, made his final film appearance in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). The emotional reunion between Kilmer’s character, Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, and Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, was a deeply touching moment for fans—and for the actors themselves.
Because of Kilmer’s health struggles, including a tracheotomy from throat cancer in 2014, AI company Sonantic helped regenerate his voice for the film. The result was a brief but powerful moment that brought fans to tears.
Director Joseph Kosinski revealed that both stars were teary-eyed while filming the scene.
“It felt like a genuine moment between two old friends,” he said.
Cruise Shuts Down AI Resurrection Idea
Now, as talks for Top Gun 3 continue, some insiders proposed using AI to bring Kilmer’s character back. But Cruise was reportedly outraged by the idea.
“Tom despises AI,” one source revealed. “He felt bringing back Val with AI would bastardize the emotional moment they shared in Maverick. That was meant to be Val’s farewell.”
Cruise, known for his perfectionism and explosive on-set discipline (as seen in his viral 2020 Mission: Impossible 7 COVID rant), reportedly made it clear that no AI-generated version of Kilmer will appear in the new film.
“If Val isn’t here to approve it, Tom wants no part of it,” the insider emphasized.
