In Top Gun: Maverick, Jon Hamm will portray a high-ranking U.S. Navy officer, but few character details have been revealed. However, the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick offers a few clues. Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled for a June 26, 2020 release.

Top Gun: Maverick stars Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, reprising his role from Tony Scott’s original 1986 film, Top Gun. In the sequel, 34 years have passed and Maverick struggles with his place within the U.S. Navy. After passing up notable promotions, Maverick anticipates a changing of the guard, as new Top Gun recruits represent the future and protocol shifts in a new direction. Miles Teller co-stars as Bradley Bradshaw, one of Maverick’s trainees and the son of his old friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, while Jennifer Connelly plays Maverick’s love interest. 

Hamm didn’t appear in the original Top Gun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his character won’t be narratively linked to the original movie. Here’s what we know about Hamm’s role in Top Gun: Maverick, and what it means for the central storyline.

Hamm’s Top: Gun Maverick Character May Be A Vice Admiral

Hamm’s character makes just one obvious appearance in the Top Gun: Maverick trailer. After a wide shot featuring an outdoors classroom, a close-up visual shows Hamm wearing aviator sunglasses and a shirt with three stars on the collar. The character appears stern and fully authoritative, walking with an upright posture. The trailer then cuts to a wide shot that shows Hamm walking amongst numerous airplanes.

These three shots from Top Gun: Maverick’s trailer may summarize the character profile. Hamm will educate and teach new recruits (the first wide shot), he’s a well-respected and accomplished individual (close-up shot), and he’s fully immersed into his job (second wide shot). 

Hamm’s Top: Gun Maverick Character Details Haven’t Been Revealed

Few character names have been revealed for Top Gun: Maverick. There’s Cruise’s titular aviator, the aforementioned Bradley Bradshaw, Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix (a trainee), and Val Kilmer’s Iceman. As of now, Hamm’s character appears to be a stern three-star Vice Admiral.

As for the character’s background, his rank means that he would’ve been nominated by the U.S. President and approved by the U.S. Senate. Vice Admirals must retire after 38 years of service or the month after their 64th birthday. In real life, Hamm is 48 years old, so his Top Gun: Maverick character may represent the archetypal alpha male character - someone looking to make a statement. In this case, the Vice Admiral’s career trajectory and personality will most likely heavily contrast with Maverick’s character arc. 

More: Everything We Know About Maverick’s Role In Top Gun 2

  • Top Gun: Maverick Release Date: 2022-05-27