Penny Benjamin used to be Maverick's girlfriend, long before Maverick fell in love with Top Gun instructor Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (portrayed by Kelly McGillis in the original Top Gun movie).
Penny is Maverick's on-again, off-again love in Top Gun: Maverick. While in the first film he was romantically involved with Charlie, a civilian liaison at the Top Gun Fighter School, he's since moved on decades later. Now, he's linked to Penny, a divorced single mom who owns a bar near the Top Gun school.
In contrast, director Joseph Kosinski said that bringing back Charlie simply wasn't in line with the story they were looking to tell in the sequel. "I didn't want every storyline to always be looking backwards," Kosinski told Insider.
Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, is not physically in the first "Top Gun" movie, but she does exist in it, though only mentioned in passing. She is never actually seen on screen.
This is something Maverick confessed to Penny but not to Rooster. Of course, the spirit of Goose hangs over Maverick and Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick. In moments of uncertainty, they both say, "Talk to me Goose/dad" and evoke the dearly departed, mustachioed pilot.
Before being the central love interest in Top Gun: Maverick, Penny is actually mentioned in the original Top Gun, being one of Maverick's former love interests. However, a new theory posits that Penny's ex-husband might be a character from the original movie as well.
McGillis didn't reprise her role in Top Gun: Maverick, the 2022 sequel, citing potential ageism as the cause. Her absence left Maverick without one of the key ingredients to its predecessor's success.
Sheen portrayed Charlie Harper on the CBS series from 2003 to 2011, when he was fired after making a series of controversial statements about Lorre, the show's creator. The Wall Street actor's exit came two months after he was ordered to go to rehab in January 2011 and deal with his alleged drug and alcohol issues.
McGillis first revealed in 2019 that she was not asked to star in the “Top Gun” sequel, saying at the time, “I'm old, and I'm fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is.
Hangman being Iceman's son perfectly explains nearly every element of Top Gun: Maverick's plot and surrounding secrecy.
It is revealed that Iceman is dying of cancer and types out most of the conversation with Maverick, summoning the strength to speak in an emotional moment. Val Kilmer's own battle with throat cancer severely impacted his ability to speak.
Amelia Benjamin is Penny's daughter. She loves her mother and has a good rapport with Maverick. With the stranger nature of Penny and Maverick's relationship, Amelia simply wants what's best for her mother.
Top Gun: Maverick's Penny Proves It Was Right Not To Bring Back Charlie - IMDb. Top Gun: Maverick didn't bring back Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis), Pete's romantic partner in Top Gun, and instead introduced the character of Penny. Though surprising, the change was ultimately better for the film.
However, Charlie actress Kelly McGillis believes that there's a different explanation for not being called back for Top Gun: Maverick: her age and looks. "I'm old, and I'm fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about," she said in a 2019 interview.
Meg Ryan Was Not Asked to Return
Director Joseph Kosinski told Insider that the return of both Ryan and Kelly McGillis was never even considered during development. Kosinski did not want every storyline in the film "to be looking backwards," and he instead took the time to introduce new characters.
In the series finale, "Of Course He's Dead", a retcon reveals that Charlie is not dead but survived an attempt on his life by an angry Rose after she found him having sex with a hooker, a mime, and a goat on their honeymoon.
In March 2011, Sheen was fired from the show after he began making a string of negative comments about series creator Chuck Lorre in multiple online and network television interviews.
Melanie Lynskey left Two and a Half Men because according to her the sitcom was not what she wanted to continue to do as it took the majority of her time and left no room for other projects. Adding to this, the makers were paying her pretty low even after being a main cast member of the show.
A thrilling, flag-waving, homoerotic masterpiece from Tony Scott, Top Gun is recognised as one of the most defining moves of the 1980s, taking director Tony Scott and lead star Tom Cruise to new heights of success.
because he put his phone on the counter … which is against the rules … which he should know because they're listed on a tiny sign.
Before the final mission, Goose's son, Rooster is still furious at Maverick and angrily makes the point that it doesn't matter if Maverick comes back from the mission or not. After all, he's got no wife and kids to mourn him. Maverick takes these words to heart and promptly proposes to Penny.
She is Penny Benjamin's daughter.
Besides, she was 27 and he was 24 and the difference was palpable.
The night before the mission, Maverick visits Penny in his ceremonial white uniform, presumably to say goodbye in case he doesn't make it back.