Top Gun is most of the successful film franchises that the world has ever seen and Top Gun: Maverick was also the most commercially successful movie of Tom Cruise’s film career. Earlier this month, it was announced that a 3rd movie is also in the works, and we could be seeing a lot of new actors and characters in this latest project.
Austin Butler almost played the role of ‘Rooster’ in Top Gun: Maverick
Austin Butler, who is most well known for his portrayal of the legendary musical icon Elvis Presley in Elvis, was presented with one of the hardest choices of his career before he even became a global sensation. As the American actor recently revealed in the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz(via People), Butler had the choice to even play the role of ‘Rooster’ in Tom Cruise’s movie but the actor chose against it. This was because he also had a chance to work with Quentin Tarantino on his 2019 comedy-drama movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Butler said,
“I ended up having to choose between going to the screen test for Top Gun: Maverick or saying yes to Quentin Tarantino…I’d already met with him, so I did that.”
Although Austin Butler was not able to work on Top Gun: Maverick due to scheduling issues, it seems like he just might be able to work in the 3rd movie of the franchise and play a very important role too.
Austin Butler could be Tom Cruise’s son in Top Gun 3
Before his screen test for Top Gun: Maverick, Austin Butler had already auditioned for the role of ‘Rooster’ which eventually went to Miles Teller. However, it eventually was a good thing as many people thought Butler might be too young to fit the timeline of the franchise. Once in an interview with Variety, the casting director of Top Gun: Maverick, Denise Chamian who eventually cast the actor for Elvis talked about how close the actor came to playing the role of ‘Rooster’. She said,
“The thing that he got the closest to was “Top Gun.” When I cast that, we were looking for the role that Miles Teller played. I felt so passionate about Austin. Ultimately, his audition was shown to Tom[Cruise] and all the filmmakers. They agreed he had something and they were happy to know him, but they thought he was too young.”
However, that was almost 5 years ago and right now he will be a perfect fit to portray the role of Maverick’s son in Top Gun 3. If Tom Cruise‘s character, Maverick indeed did have a son, it most probably would have happened after the events of Top Gun when he got into a relationship with Charlie Blackwood who was portrayed by Kelly McGillis.
Since Kelly McGillis was missing from Top Gun: Maverick, if she and Maverick indeed did have a son, it might be the best way to reintroduce her character. Austin Butler is also currently in his early 30s which would also fit the timeline of the franchise very well.
