Though it’s been a long time since Meg Ryan was in a box office hit, fans haven’t forgotten about her small but important role in Top Gun. Despite her troubles over the years, which largely stemmed from the public’s perceptions of her as an adultress, among other negative labels, Meg still has a strong fan base that hoped she would return in Top Gun: Maverick.
Even though the press was poor surrounding the actress back in the day, many thought that time would tame things. As it turns out, there was absolutely no chance she would return, for one simple reason.
Meg Ryan Made An Impression In Top Gun
The original Top Gun film came out in 1986 with none other than Meg Ryan playing Anthony Edwards’ (Goose’s) leading lady. She was a hit as Carole, even if she wasn’t Tom Cruise’s romantic interest (that honor, of course, went to Kelly McGillis).
Her part was minor, but Carole was the loving wife of Goose and mom to a two-year-old son.
Top Gun was a big enough hit that in 2022, Tom Cruise reprised his role in a much-buzzed-about sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. And while Maverick, of course, had to return to the film, Goose did not, as he passed away during the events of Top Gun.
The thing is, the sequel’s plot largely plays on a relationship between Maverick and his late friend’s son, nicknamed Rooster (Miles Teller). So why didn’t Rooster’s mom appear in the movie, with Meg Ryan as Carole?
Why Wasn’t Meg Ryan In The Top Gun Sequel?
There’s been plenty of speculation about Top Gun: Maverick and buzz over who would appear in the movie and just how much screen time they would get. After all, Tom Cruise is notorious for his on-set antics and, generally, being the center of attention.
The storyline of Top Gun also left things open to where a new cast could be brought in, which led to Jennifer Connelly being cast as Tom’s love interest, Penny. It turns out this was pre-planned, in some sense, because “Penny” was briefly mentioned in Top Gun.
As far as Maverick’s first romance, it’s been assumed that Maverick and Charlie didn’t work out after their riding-off-into-the-sunset in Top Gun because they were both super-focused on their respective careers.
As for Meg Ryan’s character Carole, why couldn’t Goose’s widow make an appearance, especially given that their son did?
Potential plot holes aside, there’s a simple reason why Meg Ryan didn’t appear in Top Gun: Maverick; her character died. Not only that, but it doesn’t seem that her character was killed off because Meg Ryan turned down an opportunity to reappear.
Instead, the entire plot was written around Carole’s absence.
Top Gun: Maverick Killed Off Carole
To help further the plot, Maverick’s goal in Top Gun: Maverick is to keep Goose’s son Rooster from following in his footsteps. The premise of the film is that Maverick is meant to honor Carole’s dying wish, but he ultimately winds up doing the complete opposite.
So not only did the director not plan to bring Meg Ryan back as Carole, but he even went as far as to kill her off to avoid looking back into Maverick’s past even more.
Meg Ryan Wasn’t The Only One Who Wasn’t Asked Back
According to Maverick’s director, Joseph Kosinksi, who followed the vision of the original director, the late Tony Scott, it made sense to bring in some new characters instead of focusing on the old ones.
He explained, “I didn’t want every storyline to always be looking backwards. It was important to introduce some new characters.” Meg Ryan wasn’t the only one who didn’t return, either. Kelly McGillis wasn’t brought back, although it technically could have worked.
Unlike other films (including some of Tom’s), an actor around Tom’s age was cast as his love interest, rather than pairing him with someone half his age. But for Kelly McGillis, she kind of figured they wouldn’t call her back because the role wouldn’t have fit anymore.
McGillis is quoted as saying, “I’m old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is” as an explanation for why no one called her about Maverick.
For Meg Ryan’s part, she hasn’t been vocal about being left off the Maverick cast list, not that anyone is very surprised. The actress hasn’t been involved in Hollywood much over the years, instead preferring to live a quieter life outside the spotlight.
Her IMDb listing has a smattering of roles since the early 2000s, but none as notable as older projects like You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, or Sleepless in Seattle.
Yet it seems Meg is happy enough watching her son’s career flourish, while she stays on the sidelines.