Top Gun: Maverick certainly caught audiences off-guard when it was released. Despite having been released decades after its first part, the film managed to grasp relevance in the best of ways. Many small pieces had to work seamlessly to make sure that the machine that was the film did not crash. It was excellently well-executed in every aspect, and many are to thank for it.
One such person was Ed Harris. Although the actor’s role was small in the movie, fans noticed the impact and hold he had on the protagonist and loved every second of it. During an interview, the director of the movie specifically talked about the actor and why he was extremely important to the story,
Top Gun: Maverick Needed Ed Harris
Soon after the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the director of the film, Joseph Kosinski, gave an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Here, he was asked to specifically talk about Ed Harris’ role and what exactly went into casting him as Radm. Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain. It would seem that the entire production was looking forward to him being cast in the role.
It was a dream to be able to get to work with Ed Harris and have him play that role at the beginning of the film.
Cain’s part in the story was quite simple, he schooled Tom Cruise’s character and kept him grounded when he was high up in the skies. Knowing the type of dynamic he would have, Kosinski had a vision of someone like Harris playing the role.
When it came to trying to find an actor who could dress down Maverick, having the guy who played John Glenn in The Right Stuff was kind of a dream, and thank God he said yes.
The filmmaker specifically had a vision of the actor’s work in his 1983 film, The Right Stuff, revealing that his performance in that movie was exactly what Top Gun 2 needed. When Harris agreed to be a part of the film, it is safe to say that Kosinski was ecstatic.
Ed Harris Did What He Was Supposed To
Later in the interview, Joseph Kosinski talked about the role that Ed Harris played in the movie. He acted as an authority figure of sorts for Tom Cruise’s Maverick. The filmmaker commented on the actor’s performance, stating that he did an excellent job in the role, just like production hoped he would.
He just came in and absolutely crushed that role in the way that we all hoped he would.
Despite being excellent in his limited screen time, many may wonder why he was not present at the end of the film. Thankfully, Kosinski answered this question as well.
So I think he served his purpose in the film and helped move Maverick’s arc along. I don’t think we ever thought it was necessary to bring him back at the end.
He revealed that his character had completed what he was supposed to do. Acting as a figure who kept Cruise’s character in check, he added exactly what he was supposed to. After that, the filmmaker did not understand the need to bring him back.
Had he had more to add to the story, Kosinski would have been more open to the idea. However, he believed that the character served his purpose the best he could.
Top Gun: Maverick is available for streaming in Paramount+.
