Meg Ryan originally played Goose’s wife in the first Top Gun movie, but Carole Bradshaw didn’t appear in the sequel. Here’s why.


Despite her role in Top Gun as Goose’s wife, Top Gun: Maverick‘s cast did not include Meg Ryan. Over 30 years after the original movie hit theaters, Top Gun: Maverick brought back Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for another story filled with young, competitive Navy pilots, as well as intense and realistic flying sequences. However, without Meg Ryan Top Gun 2 had a noticeable difference. Years before developing a reputation as a romantic comedy star, then-24-year-old Meg Ryan appeared in a minor role in Top Gun. Back then in 1986, the actress’ Hollywood career had yet to take off. Meg Ryan’s Top Gun character was Carole Bradshaw, wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Goose dies in the Top Gun movie, but his infant son is all grown up in Top Gun: Maverick, and played by Spiderhead star Miles Teller. However, his mother never returns.

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The Meg Ryan Top Gun 2 absence and theories about whether she would secretly appear were big talking points ahead of the film’s release. There were even rumors that Yes, Dear star Jean Louisa Kelly would play Goose’s wife in Top Gun 2, but this ultimately wasn’t the case, either. The reason for Meg Ryan not returning was potentially tied to the fact that she has stepped away from big Hollywood roles. The actress, known mostly for her starring roles in movies like When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, hasn’t retired from acting but has appeared in only a few projects in the last few years. Top Gun‘s Meg Ryan hasn’t been in any film since 2016’s Ithaca, which she also directed and produced; she was only in a total of two movies in the 2010s, the other being an ABC Family movie called Fan Girl.

Related: What Every New Call Sign In Top Gun 2 Means


Meg Ryan’s Reasons For Not Starring In Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun Meg Ryan Tom Cruise

In a 2019 interview, Ryan talked about stepping back from movies and turning down offers (via The New York Times). It’s possible she was approached about appearing in Top Gun: Maverick, but the actress may have decided not to return to give audiences another Meg Ryan Top Gun appearance, which meant one less returning cast member for Top Gun 2. Only Cruise and Val Kilmer came back for the sequel, and Goose’s son Rooster was obviously played by a different actor than when he appeared as a toddler in the original.

Even without appearing in the sequel, the Meg Ryan Top Gun character Carole Bradshaw made the movie better. The fact that Rooster lost not only his dad at a young age but also his mom more recently made his arc in Top Gun: Maverick all the more poignant. It also added fuel to his tension with Maverick, as it’s revealed that Maverick blocked Rooster’s application at Carole’s request before she passed as she didn’t want her son to die in the same manner as her husband. Without Meg Ryan, Top Gun: Maverick certainly lost a meaningful character, but she was still able to impact the story for the better and helped make the sequel the huge success that it was.

Meg Ryan Wasn’t The Only Missing Female Top Gun Star

Tom Cruise and Kelly Mcgillis in Top Gun

The Meg Ryan Top Gun character was missing in the sequel, but she wasn’t the only one. Many were surprised to see Maverick’s love interest being changed to Jennifer Connelly’s Penny, rather than Kelly McGillis’ Charlie. Charlie was completely left out of Top Gun: Maverick, but unlike Goose’s wife, her absence was never explained. In an interview (via Entertainment Tonight), McGillis was asked whether she was approached to appear in Top Gun 2, and her answer was a resounding no. When asked what she thought the reason was, she pointed to her appearance.

On the question of if Paramount had requested her presence for Top Gun 2, McGillis had this to say, “Oh my god no. They did not, nor do I think they would ever. I mean, I’m old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about.” McGillis went on to say that she certainly wasn’t rushing to theaters to see the Top Gun sequel, but would rather wait for reviews to come out. Since Top Gun: Maverick managed to blast through the box office with crazy numbers, perhaps both Meg Ryan and Kelly McGillis went and saw the film.

Next: How Maverick’s Box Office Compares to Top Gun 1 (Adjusted for Inflation)



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