Top Gun: Maverick Almost Featured a Marvel Star Instead of Jon Hamm

Top Gun: Maverick was the second-most successful movie of 2022, and it was recently revealed that a third installment is in the works with franchise star, Tom Cruise. It's no surprise another movie is coming considering Top Gun: Maverick earned over $1 billion at the box office in addition to being a big hit on Paramount+, and breaking some DVD and Blu-ray sales records. The film was helmed by Joseph Kosinski, who recently appeared on the Happy Say Confused podcast. During the chat, Kosinski revealed the role played by Jon Hamm, Beau "Cyclone" Simpson, almost went to Marvel star, Josh Brolin. 

"Absolutely," Kosinski replied when asked if Brolin was ever considered for the film. "Brolin was on my mind. For me, you know, you always have to – you can't put all your eggs in one basket – so for me it was Brolin and Hamm were the top two ... Yeah, Josh would have done this role. We did actually talk about it, but he was having a baby literally the moment we were going to start photography, so I knew it just wasn't a possibility. Brolin and Hamm, both guys I'd be thrilled to work with again."

Why Did Top Gun: Maverick Succeed?

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer previously spoke with Entertainment Weekly about why Top Gun: Maverick crushed the box office and even made some Marvel comparisons. 

"I think audiences have been seeing so much CGI, which is wonderful, I go see the same movies, but it's also nice to see the real deal and to be part of a camaraderie of characters that get up in the sky and have to be as good as they can be," Bruckheimer explained. "The audiences love the Marvel, they love the DC stuff. They're beautifully made by really talented people. Sometimes you want to see something that's real, and that's what Top Gun gave us… These aviators are out there protecting our country right now, flying around the world, and you're taking a ride with them. You're seeing what they do, you're seeing what their life is like, and the trials and tribulations that they have to go through. You're actually experiencing it with our actors."

Could you picture Josh Brolin playing Beau "Cyclone" Simpson in Top Gun: Maverick? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Top Gun: Maverick is now available on 4K UHD+Digital Blu-ray.