Val Kilmer returns as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick, and while he has very minimal dialogue, there are both real-world and story reasons for that.
Overcoming numerous delays, the Top Gun sequel wound up being one of the most anticipated movies of Tom Cruise's career.
Top Gun: Maverick sees Cruise return as hotshot pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he is now tasked with training TOPGUN graduates for an extremely challenging aerial mission.
Kilmer makes a cameo as Iceman, Maverick's old rival turned friend, with the two characters speaking via text message early on in the movie and Iceman revealing he has terminal throat cancer.
As Maverick begins to have doubts that he can train his team in time for the mission, Iceman summons him to his house to give him a pep talk. Iceman, now a four-star Admiral, types out his end of the conversation to Maverick on his computer.
However, he works through the pain of speaking near the end of the scene to vocally encourage Maverick for his challenging mission.
Throat cancer is something Kilmer has also battled himself.
Though the actor has succeeded in beating the condition, the effects of the disease and his numerous surgeries to combat it have unfortunately severely impacted his ability to speak.
Kilmer now communicates through an artificial voice box, making his scene in the movie Top Gun: Maverick even more emotional with his being a real-life cancer survivor
Maverick and Iceman have a head-butting relationship in the original Top Gun, with Iceman viewing Maverick as a wreckless, insubordinate pilot.
Maverick and Iceman nonetheless gradually grow to respect one another through their travails.
With Maverick and Iceman's rivalry essential to Top Gun, the sequel shows that the bond they developed has held strong throughout their respective careers as naval aviators.