During a recent appearance on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, director Joseph Kosinski revealed why Jon Hamm was chosen to play Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson in the 2022 blockbuster ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ instead of Josh Brolin.
Kosinski explained that while both Brolin and Hamm were top contenders for the role, Brolin’s personal life played a crucial role in the final decision:
“Absolutely, Brolin was on my mind. For me, you know, you always have to – you can’t put all your eggs in one basket – so for me it was Brolin and Hamm were the top two … Yeah, Josh would have done this role. We did actually talk about it, but he was having a baby literally the moment we were going to start photography, so I knew it just wasn’t a possibility. Brolin and Hamm, both guys I’d be thrilled to work with again.”
You can watch the rest of the conversation below.
Was ‘Top Gun’ Successful After Its Release?
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘ was the second most successful movie of 2022, earning over $1 billion at the box office. A sequel to the 1986 ‘Top Gun,’ the film saw Tom Cruise reprising his role as Maverick and featured a cast that included Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer.
In a conversation with EW, producer Jerry Bruckheimer attributed the film’s success to its authentic portrayal of aviators and real-life action scenes:
“I think audiences have been seeing so much CGI, which is wonderful, I go see the same movies, but it’s also nice to see the real deal and to be part of a camaraderie of characters that get up in the sky and have to be as good as they can be. The audiences love Marvel; they love the DC stuff. They’re beautifully made by really talented people. Sometimes you want to see something that’s real, and that’s what ‘Top Gun‘ gave us.”
Meanwhile, Josh Brolin and Jon Hamm are moving forward with their acting careers. Brolin is set to appear in ‘Dune: Part Two‘ and ‘Brothers,‘ while Hamm’s upcoming roles include ‘Transformers One,‘ ‘Your Friends and Neighbors,‘ and ‘Off Season.‘
