The Kelly McGillis Top Gun: Maverick absence is felt, but there are a few interesting reasons why the Charlie Top Gun character does not appear. Charlie was hesitant to start a romance with Maverick since she was her apprentice, but they ended up dating. The attraction between them was just too strong and Maverick was quite persistent in making love to her. Despite their mutual admiration, the tragic death of Goose and Charlie’s job caused their brief rift, but… Top GunBy the end, they eventually got back together, giving the impression that the couple was for the long haul. The public was surprised to discover that in Top Gun: MaverickMitchell has a new love interest in Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).
Kosinskis Top Gun: Maverick isn’t afraid to lean on nostalgia with various cues to the 1986 film. That said, it doesn’t bring back many of the characters from the original top gun, and among the absent is Charlie. There are two reasons why the Charlie Top Gun character is not in the sequel. According to director Joseph Kosinski, they wanted to Top Gun: Maverick to look forward rather than backward, so they were meticulous in deciding which legacy characters would return in the new blockbuster. Ultimately, instead of re-pairing Maverick with Charlie, the decision was made to reintroduce Penny Benjamin from Top Gun, instead of. Charlie actress Kelly McGillis, however, believes there is another explanation for not being recalled Top Gun: Maverick: her age and appearance. “I’m old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate, and that’s not what this whole scene is about‘, she said in an interview in 2019. But McGillis has no ill will towards Connelly, saying she’so glad she got that chance.” This is why the Kelly McGillis Top Gun: Maverick absence really happened.
Maverick doesn’t mention Charlie at all
Top Gun: Maverick doesn’t really explain what happened to the Charlie Top Gun character. Maverick’s past is important for understanding where the character is when the movie starts, but the movie doesn’t really go into details about what happened to him between the original Top Gun and the sequel. That includes no mention of his previous relationship with Charlie, including why and when they broke up. But given how turbulent Maverick’s TOPGUN career in the Navy has been, it’s possible they just couldn’t make it work. Charlie was focused and career-oriented, so it’s possible that she eventually chose her professional life and moved up the ladder at the expense of her romantic relationship with Maverick. This is ultimately why the Kelly McGillis Top Gun: Maverick absence has happened.
Given the success of Top Gun: Maverickchances are Cruise and Paramount would be happy to continue the franchise by giving the green light Top Gun 3 if there is a good story. Regardless of whether it happens and whatever the story is, at this point it’s safe to say that the burgeoning film series has no intention of revisiting Maverick and Charlie’s past romance. So it’s unlikely McGillis will reprise her role in any of the possibilities Top Gun sequels – but it would be nice to get some closure to their story one day.
Charlie’s Absence Didn’t Hurt Top Gun 2
There’s enough nostalgia in it Top Gun: Maverick, and luckily it didn’t come at the expense of a strong story. Bringing back Kelly McGillis’ character may have ruined that. Too often, reboots fail because they rely too much on the past to release a true legacy sequel. Top Gun: Maverick cleverly avoided this by introducing well-rounded, engaging new characters to replace the old ones. Plus, Maverick and Charlie’s romance probably wasn’t a happy one. The two barely had any basis for a real relationship, even once while breaking things up Top Gun. Other than a few romantic moments, the couple didn’t really bond that deep, and it’s more than conceivable that they would eventually drift apart. Both characters had aspirations outside of each other, and that was even in Top Gun. Jennifer Connelly’s character was a great new addition to the Top Gun franchise, and she and Cruise shared serious chemistry. So, although it was sad that Charlie didn’t show up in Top Gun: Maverickher character was ultimately not missed.
