Tim Robbins as Lt Sam "Merlin" Wells in Top Gun.
Tim Robbins shows up in Top Gun as Lt. Sam Wells, call sign "Merlin". Once attached to Cougar (John Stockwell), Merlin is a radar intercept officer who left Cougar early on. Then Merlin steps in to fly alongside Maverick (Cruise), after Goose (Anthony Edwards) dies. Working effectively despite minimal experience, the team down three MiG-28s together. Though it's not front and center like Maverick's, Merlin's narrative is a good mirror of the actual war, providing somewhat higher stakes in the last fight as the audience now cares personally about both pilots.
Robbins makes sure his character, as a pilot, is recognizable and believable, but he does not strive to grab any kind of attention. Given Top Gun's ranking as only the sixth film in Robbins' career, his performance of Merlin is even more remarkable. This part calls for the performer to be content to let the relationship take front stage. Cruise obviously is the star, but the radar intercept officer is there to assist the other aviator. Robbins never tries to take front stage; he makes sure his character as a pilot is unforgettable and realistic.
Robbins most likely did not return to top gun since he declines to do Sequels.
Finding out Robbins wasn't on the cast when Top Gun: Maverick was announced surprised me somewhat. Apart from Cruise, Val Kilmer signed to return for Top Gun: Maverick even though he was afflicted with throat cancer. Apparently, Robbins's issue with Top Gun: Maverick in particular was not as big as his issue with generally running Sequels. 2008 saw the actor informing MTV,
"I don't want to make sequels since I find them unpleasant. [The studios] merely assume name recognition will help you. In fact, it is really cynical. Its manipulation is what it is. For Robbins, then, it's a fundamental matter; he has followed this guideline for decades. Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick's cast and crew need to be aware of this as none has publicly objected or even mentioned. Top Gun: Maverick is more about the new generation than the old anyhow, however it would have been great to have Merlin appear somewhere. Perhaps he might have accompanied Maverick when he met Penny (Connelly), or had a beer with him. It would have allowed Tim Robbins once more to be Cruise's wingman.
Indeed, Tim Robbins was in Top Gun; why didn't he return for Maverick?
Tim Robbins chose not to return for Top Gun: Maverick, however it may surprise you that he had a little but important part in Top Gun. Although it's difficult to say just how important Top Gun is in the action drama subgenre, if the volume of films like it released following Tony Scott's film is any guide, the movie still shapes Hollywood decades later. Top Gun: Maverick proved that the Top Gun brand remained as strong and exciting as ever over thirty years following the original, garnering worldwide praise and a huge box office attendance.
Stars abound in Top Gun: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Michael Ironside, Meg Ryan, Kelly McGillis, and others; eagle-eyed viewers may also find Tim Robbins present. Robbins was only starting his career in 1986, filling supporting roles in Howard the Duck and Toy Soldiers. Jacob's Ladder, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Hudsucker Proxy were the only series he would later star in, but he didn't choose to repeat his part in Top Gun: Maverick. It wasn't until a few years later.
Looking Back at Top Gun
Tom Cruise plays fearless young pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in this venerable action movie. Among the other students in the elite fighter weapons school of the United States Navy, he strives to be top in the class and picks some knowledge from a civilian instructor outside of the classroom.
Maverick, the follow-up to the 1986 original movie with Tom Cruise portraying top-notch Navy pilot Pete "Maverick," Thirty years following the events of the first movie, Maverick is invited to lead a TOP Gun program segment heading on a perilous mission. When the program forces the son of Maverick's late friend to face his past, things become personal.
Now is a great moment to review the top Top Gun lines as Maverick makes viewers feel the urge for speed once more.
Later on, Tim Robbins and Tom Cruise would get back together for a dramatic scene in Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds 2005 film.
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