Val Kilmer's Dialogue In Top Gun: Maverick Was Read By AI Because He Can No Longer Speak

The new Top Gun movie landing back on the big screen last week saw the return of not only Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, but also of his one-time nemesis Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer.

But the actor revealed recently that he had to fight hard to get the gig, with producers not too keen on the idea at first.

The 62-year-old suffered irreparable damage to his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy in 2014 to treat his throat cancer.

He now has to use a voice box to communicate, and last year revealed that they had to use special AI software to allow him to speak in the new Top Gun film.

Described as a 'Photoshop for voice', the tool is available for the actor to use for communicating in his professional and personal life.

"I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible," Kilmer said.

"As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. 

"The chance to tell my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift."

Paramount Pictures

Speaking last year about his voice, the Batman Forever star said: "People around me struggle to understand me when I'm talking.

"But despite all that, I still feel I'm the exact same person. Still the same creative soul."

Discussing how he became involved in the new film, Kilmer said he begged producers to allow his character to return.

He said: "Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.

"It didn't matter that the producers didn't contact me. As The Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘Ain't too proud to beg'."

Paramount Pictures

Following on from the 1986 classic, Top Gun: Maverick sees the return Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Tom Cruise), who is tasked with teaching a batch of fledgling pilots the tricks of the trade.

The synopsis for the film explains: "After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

"Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it."