Tom Cruise paid a heartfelt tribute to his late Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer on Thursday at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, leading movie theater owners in a moment of silence before unveiling new footage from his upcoming Mission: Impossible film.
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” Cruise began, addressing the crowd at Caesars Palace. “I really can’t tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, and how grateful and honored I was when he joined Top Gun and then came back for Top Gun: Maverick.”
Kilmer, who became a Hollywood icon in the 1990s, passed away this week at age 65 after battling throat cancer and pneumonia. He was best known for his role as Iceman in the 1986 Top Gun, and he reprised the iconic part in Top Gun: Maverick despite his ongoing health struggles.
Cruise, visibly emotional, led the CinemaCon audience in a lengthy moment of silence, asking them to reflect on the memories and moments they had shared watching Kilmer on the big screen. “I wish you well on your next journey,” Cruise said, addressing his late friend. “Thank you all for doing that. I know he appreciates it.”
Kilmer’s role as the brash but talented Iceman was a standout in Top Gun, and his return for the sequel was a poignant tribute to both the character and the actor’s real-life struggles with health.
In addition to his tribute, Cruise introduced a new trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, set for release on May 23. The high-octane footage featured Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, performing daring stunts, including clinging to the wheels of a small biplane as it barrels through a narrow canyon.
The trailer also offered nostalgic flashbacks to memorable moments from previous films in the Mission: Impossible series, including Cruise dangling between lasers and scaling the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. “I need you to trust me one last time,” Cruise’s character tells the audience, as Paramount promotes the movie as the final chapter of the long-running franchise.