'Top Gun 2': 'X-Men' & 'Fantastic Four' Stars Eyed for Main Role

Top Gun 2 is about to add one another big name to its ranks, as the Tom Cruise sequel is eyeing a trio of hot talents to portray one of the film's main characters.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Glen Powell (Set It Up), and Miles Teller (Fantastic Four) are all frontrunners to land on of the leading roles in Top Gun: Maverick, opposite Tom Cruise. Whichever actor is chosen will portray the son of Maverick's wingman and best friend, Goose, who was played by Anthony Edwards in the original film.

Goose didn't survive the first movie, but it looks like his son will have a substantial role in the next chapter of Maverick's story.

THR's report states that Cruise, alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison, have been testing out actors for several weeks. While the list may have been lengthy at the start, the choices have been narrowed down to Hoult, Powell, and Teller. Dylon O'Brien and Austin Butler were apparently also in the mix at one point.

All three of these actors have become recognized by fans for their work over the years, and the members of the trio are starting to emerge as a few of the future faces of Hollywood.

Hoult was an emerging child star, and many will remember him for his role opposite Hugh Grant in About a Boy. In addition to his breakout roles in Warm Bodies and Mad Max: Fury Road, Hoult is well-know for his portrayal of Hank McCoy, a.k.a. Beast in the X-Men franchise.

Powell has come to the forefront as of late, with scene-stealing performances in Scream Queens, Everybody Wants Some!!, and Hidden Figures. Most recently, Powell starred alongside Zoey Deutch in the popular Netflix rom-com, Set It Up.

After breakout roles in the Footloose remake and Project X, Teller stole the attention of the industry with a powerful performance alongside J.K. Simmons in Whiplash. The actor went on to star as Reed Richards in the much-maligned Marvel movie, Fantastic Four, before moving on to films like War Dogs, Thank You for Your Service, and Only the Brave.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick is set to star Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, both reprising their roles from the first film. The movie is slated to hit theaters on July 12, 2019.