Tom “Iceman” Kazansky didn’t have a backstory in Top Gun, so Val Kilmer created one for his character. Released in 1986, the Tony Scott-directed action film has reached classic status and has endured decades after it premiered. While it focused mostly on Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise), there are other key players in the narrative that made it into the crowdpleaser it is.
Starting off with Maverick and his RIO, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) being sent to train at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, Top Gun followed their adventures in the facility. There, they met various mentors and, for Mitchell, even a love interest in “Charlie” Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). A slew of fellow trainees was also introduced, including Iceman, who becomes Maverick’s rival, with both fully motivated to emerge at the top of their batch. While Mitchell’s family history was teased in the blockbuster, with CDR Mike “Viper” Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) shedding light on what really happened to his disgraced father Duke, the rest of the backstory for the rest of the characters are mostly unknown.
So, this motivated Val Kilmer to make one for Iceman. In his Amazon documentary, Val, where he recounts his life journey, the actor said he created a headcanon for what Kazansky’s life was before joining TOPGUN. He considered the manners and quirks of his character, using them to come up with an appropriate backstory that could explain why he ended up the way he did in Top Gun. Kilmer figured that Iceman’s drive to be flawless could’ve come from an indifferent father; Val Kilmer figured a young Tom Kazansky would be desperate to earn his affection, so he worked hard to make sure that he stands out.
“I manifested a backstory for him, where he had a father who ignored him, and as a result, was driven by the need to be perfect in every way. The obsession with perfect is what made him so arrogant.”
To be fair, there wasn’t really any time to explore the backstory of other characters aside from Maverick, since his father’s past had an impact on the film’s story. So, Top Gun focused on building its present-day narrative rather than looking at the past. For what it’s worth, there’s not even a flashback sequence concerning the Mitchells’ story. That’s going to change coming into Top Gun: Maverick considering that it has many ties to the past.
Aside from the focus on Maverick, the involvement of Goose’s son, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) is an indication this will be the case. Kilmer is also returning to reprise his role as Iceman, but other than that, there’s nothing else known about his appearance. That said, ne of the popular theories is that Glen Powell’s character, only known as Hangman, could be his kid.
Assuming this is the case, there’s still a chance to explore the Kazanskys’ lineage in the sequel. Similar to Kilmer’s logic, Hangman’s quirks and characteristics can be explained by what kind of father he had growing. From there, they can further go back in time and reveal the relationship Iceman had with his own dad — whether or not the actor’s Top Gun headcanon actually has merit.