Glen Powell is quickly becoming a household name, but I think Top Gun 3 might be better off without him reprising the role of Hangman. In Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell played Hangman, one of several graduates of the Top Gun academy who were brought in for a new mission. It was one of Powell’s breakout roles that landed him some major movie roles in the future, and Powell added quite a bit to Top Gun: Maverick. Even though they were both great for each other, I don’t think Glen Powell’s Hangman should be in Top Gun 3.
Top Gun 3 was confirmed in January 2024, but it has already had a few problems in its development. Tom Cruise, who played Maverick, is currently working on Mission Impossible 8, and it’s not clear when his schedule will allow him to film Top Gun 3. Powell also offered a cryptic Top Gun 3 update that didn’t reveal many details and left more questions about the upcoming sequel than answers. Despite those setbacks, Top Gun 3 is almost certainly still happening, but I’m not sure that Glen Powell’s Hangman should be part of it.
Glen Powell Has Become A Major Leading Actor Since Top Gun: Maverick
Since he appeared in Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell has become a huge movie star with several leading roles. He has starred in a few big films just since 2022, like Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters, all of which found massive success. Both Anyone But You and Twisters surpassed major box office milestones just weeks after their release dates, and Hit Man became Powell’s best-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Powell is veritable box office gold, and he’s proven himself as one of the best – and most profitable – leading actors currently working.
While Powell’s rise in popularity seems like a good thing for Top Gun 3, I don’t think he should return to the role of Hangman. He’s on an extremely hot streak with new, original movies, and seeing Powell in another new role is a more exciting prospect than seeing him in a sequel. He can play almost any character, from the lead of a romantic comedy to a fake assassin, and his next film should continue to highlight his versatility. Playing the same hot shot pilot again would not exactly highlight Powell’s range. On top of that, Top Gun 3 could even break Powell’s career momentum.
Hangman Would Likely Play A Supporting Role In Top Gun 3
Powell’s start to his time as a lead actor may have been too good for Top Gun 3. Hangman was a supporting character in Top Gun: Maverick, and he doesn’t seem like he’ll be much more important to Top Gun 3. Much of Hangman’s character development in Top Gun: Maverick was about how he learned to work with his fellow pilots and not hang them out to dry so he could have the glory for himself. It worked well for his character, but that character development also means he couldn’t be in the spotlight for Top Gun 3.
Powell has finally shown audiences and studios that he can draw in crowds on his own without a bigger name attached, but Top Gun 3 would put him back in the copilot’s seat.
The problem with Powell taking a supporting role in Top Gun 3 is that it would be a step backwards in his career. Powell’s recent work has proven that he can be the lead actor in a movie, and it seems like taking a back seat to Tom Cruise and Miles Teller again would undo some of the momentum his recent films have built. Powell has finally shown audiences and studios that he can draw in crowds on his own without a bigger name attached, but Top Gun 3 would put him back in the copilot’s seat.
Top Gun 3 Needs To Be Maverick & Rooster’s Story
The only way Powell can be in Top Gun 3 without his career experiencing a setback is if Hangman becomes a main character. I really don’t want Hangman to become a main character, though, because Top Gun 3 needs to be about Maverick and Rooster’s relationship, especially after seeing how their relationship developed in Top Gun: Maverick. Rooster and Maverick are the most interesting pairing in Top Gun – because of their history together – and trying to fit Hangman in as another main character would only distract from that central pairing.
On top of just the chemistry that Maverick and Rooster had together, I think the progression of their relationship is the most interesting story Top Gun 3 could tell. Top Gun: Maverick was all about them reckoning with Goose’s death, settling their differences, and learning to trust one another. Maverick and Rooster finally established a good relationship, and I really want to see how they work together as true wingmen and friends in Top Gun 3. I think the movie should focus almost exclusively on Maverick and Rooster’s relationship and Rooster taking the reins of the franchise, even if that means cutting Hangman out entirely.
How Top Gun 3 Can Write Out Glen Powell’s Hangman
If Top Gun 3 does decide to cut Hangman out of the film, there will need to be a satisfying reason for his absence. Luckily, I think I’ve found the perfect way to explain Glen Powell’s absence. By the end of Top Gun: Maverick, Hangman had gone from a self-centered jerk into a team player who cared about his fellow pilots. It’s almost the same character development Maverick went through in the original Top Gun, aside from Goose’s death. Hangman and Maverick are already similar characters, meaning Powell could get the same ending Cruise did.
At the end of the original Top Gun, Maverick decided to become an instructor for the Top Gun program. Hangman could get the exact same ending as Maverick: becoming a Top Gun instructor. It would perfectly fit with the character development he’s experienced so far, as his newfound care for other pilots would make him want to train new recruits to be the best they can be. It would also explain why Powell isn’t in Top Gun 3: Maverick and Rooster are on a mission, while Hangman is at a completely different air base preparing the pilots of the future.
Making Hangman a Top Gun instructor wouldn’t just work for his character, it would also set up the future of the franchise perfectly. If Maverick does end up passing the torch to Rooster, then he’ll need a new wingman. That would open the door for Hangman to get back into actively flying again in Top Gun 4, which would also let Powell co-star with Miles Teller instead of playing a supporting character. Alternatively, Rooster’s search for a new wingman could lead him to Hangman’s new batch of students. All in all, I think it’s in both Glen Powell and Top Gun 3’s best interest to leave Hangman out.