Val Kilmer was able to play Tom “Iceman” Kazansky one more time in Top Gun: Maverick thanks to an incredible use of technology.
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The 2022 sequel to the 1986 original was a massive hit, raking in critical acclaim and ranking among the highest-grossing films of the year.
And while Cruise reprised his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, it was Kilmer's return that gave the movie its emotional punch.
But getting him back on board wasn’t exactly simple.
Kilmer, who sadly died at the age of 65 on April 1, had been living with the effects of throat cancer for nearly a decade.
After being diagnosed in 2014, he underwent a tracheostomy that significantly affected his voice.
Despite this, Kilmer was determined to return to the role that helped launch his Hollywood career—and so was Cruise.
In his memoir, Kilmer wrote about how essential the Maverick–Iceman rivalry was to the original film’s DNA: “Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.”
He added: “It didn't matter that the producers didn't contact me. As The Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘Ain't too proud to beg.’”
Turns out, begging wasn’t necessary - because Cruise was already insisting on Kilmer’s return.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed to PEOPLE that Cruise wasn’t willing to do the film without him.
“[Cruise] said, 'We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,’” Bruckheimer revealed. “He was the driving force. We all wanted him, but Tom was really adamant that if he's going to make another Top Gun, Val had to be in it.”
Bruckheimer added: “He's such a fine actor, and he's such a good individual. We had such a good time on the first one and wanted to bring some of the gang back together again.”
And thanks to cutting-edge technology, Kilmer was able to do just that.
British AI company Sonantic stepped in to recreate Kilmer’s voice using advanced algorithms and past audio recordings from his film career.
Sonantic CEO John Flynn revealed in a 2021 blog post that the team worked to “generate more than 40 different voice models” for Kilmer, ultimately selecting “the best, highest-quality, most expressive one.”
“From the beginning, our aim was to make a voice model that Val would be proud of,” Flynn said. “We were eager to give him his voice back, providing a new tool for whatever creative projects are ahead.”
The result was that Kilmer’s Iceman appeared in the sequel as a high-ranking admiral, calling on Maverick to return to the Top Gun program.
In a video shared by Sonantic, Kilmer said: “My voice as I knew it, was taken away from me.
“I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible,” Kilmer shared.
“As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence, and the effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to tell my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”
Kilmer continued: “We all have the capacity to be creative. We’re all driven to share our deepest dreams and ideas with the world. When we think of the most talented creative people, they speak to us in a unique way. A phrase we often hear is ‘having a creative voice.’
“But I was struck by throat cancer. After getting treated, my voice as I knew it was taken away from me. People around me struggle to understand when I’m talking.
“But despite all that I still feel I’m the exact same person. Still the same creative soul. A soul that dreams ideas and stories confidently, but now I can express myself again, bring these ideas to you, and show you this part of myself once more. A part that was never truly gone. Just hiding away.”