How did Nick Goose Bradshaw die in Top Gun?

“Talk to me, Gus,” whispered Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) in “Top Gun: Maverick.” But Gus could not, because he was dead. That’s something die-hard fans of the original film already knew when Tom Cruise’s hot, heroic alter ego took to the skies in the 2022 sequel from director Joseph Kasinski. In addition surpassing the $1 billion markthe second film reunited us with Maverick, who had to deal with demons, in particular, to survive the death of his late best friend.

Famously famous, Nick “The Goose” Bradshaw was the glue that held Tony Scott’s Top Gun in 1986 until he couldn’t, and the world of action fans mourned his death. But who was Gus? What was he to Maverick and what justified his untimely death? Well, to find out who, what, why and when his best friend died, we need to go back to the danger zone and first remember which star brought Gus to life before his wings were unfortunately clipped and poor old Maw since then had difficulty finding a volleyball partner.

Turning on the radar for “Top Gun,” it’s not hard to spot the impressive cast of names that make up this jet-fueled gem of a movie. In addition to Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan, there was Anthony Edwards as Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, who was Maverick’s RIO (Radar Interception Officer) watching the skies while his co-pilot blasted through them.

In addition to being an integral part of one of the most iconic action films in history, Anthony Edwards has appeared in several notable places before and after sharing the same airspace with Tom Cruise. Before “Top Gun,” Edwards appeared in “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” as well as “Revenge of the Nerds.” It was 1994 when Edwards gave viewers a weekly dose of hospital drama in the groundbreaking drama ER. Edwards appeared in 180 episodes of the series and played Dr. Mark Green, which earned him a Golden Globe and two SAG Awards.

Unfortunately, due to the fate of Gus in “Top Gun,” Edwards did not reprise his role in the 2022 sequel, but he did not begrudge his former co-star and producer of the new legacyquel. Talking to Fox News of “Top Gun: Maverick,” Edwards spoke about his former co-star, saying, “I know that Tom always wants to do things to the nth degree, to the best of his ability, and when you have the opportunity to fly these planes, I wouldn’t blame him for that.”

The death of Gus, as the only casualty among the famous heroes of “Top Gun”, is felt throughout the story. In the original film, Maverick and Goose are training alongside Val Kilmer’s Iceman when things get tough. Maverick’s air-biting rival is determined to reach his enemy target, but struggles to do so, prompting Maw to request a capture. However, Iceman ignores his teammate and, targeting his enemy, pulls up and sends Maverick and Gus into a corkscrew. Caught in the turbulence of Iceman’s jet washer, our heroic pair hit a corkscrew they couldn’t fix. As a result, the pilot and his RIO had no choice but to eject, but Maverick was unable to reach his stick and Goose grabbed his at the co-pilot’s request.

The goose pulls its handle while the aircraft is still spinning, and as a result the dome does not travel far enough to detach from it. Edwards ejects from the plane, but hits the dome head-on, breaking his neck and killing him instantly before his parachute can successfully deploy, landing in the Pacific Ocean. What’s ahead for Maverick is a tough road to recovery, getting over the loss of a friend, and getting back into the air where he belongs.

Throughout Top Gun, Goose is the best friend who supports Maverick no matter what. From flying maneuvers to courting women in bars, LTJG Bradshaw may have been a decorated Navy SEAL, but he also earned the top spot as a lifelong best friend. It was this “ride or die” that ultimately led to Maverick suffering such a great loss and carrying grief and guilt that would not leave him for 37 years, even though Gus’s widow assured him that it was not his fault .

After the mission, an on-board investigation confirms that Maverick was not responsible for the crash and that a technical malfunction led to Gus’ death. Even Goose’s wife, Carol (Meg Ryan), tearfully assured him, “God, he loved flying with you, Maverick. But he would still do it… without you. He’d hate it but wish I’d done it,” showing that the risk of that always exists, as much as Carol fought against it.

However, good words and pieces of paper are still not enough for Maverick, and the loss of Gus casts a shadow all the way to the end of Top Gun: Maverick. However, the most frustrating thing about Lt. Mitchell’s fight is that Iceman also had to share some of the load.

Maverick may bear some of the blame for his friend’s death, but he certainly doesn’t deserve all the blame, if any, for his companion’s death. Tom “The Iceman” Kazansky also deserves the cold shoulder.

Gus’s death was caused by Iceman’s refusal to pull away from his target. Struggling to get a block, Maverick asked to step in and his teammate refused. As a result, both were fighting for the same goal, which added more challenges to the aerial encounter. This caused Iceman to pull up, creating the effect of Maverick losing control and being forced to abandon his plane along with his RIO.

It’s a small detail that was seemingly overlooked in “Top Gun: Maverick” and could have potentially added even more drama to not only the relationship between Mav and Rooster, but also Iceman before his death. Kazansky is fully aware that the recruit is enrolled in Maverick’s class and signs up for it anyway, but given the issues, shouldn’t Rooster be just as mad at Iceman as his father’s best friend? Despite the twisted blame game, at least by the end of it all, Maverick is able to call it quits and let the dust finally settle between him and Pilot Goose’s prodigal son, Rooster.

While Huss’s wife may not have pointed the finger at her husband’s death, Huss’s son wasn’t so quick to forgive and forget. At the beginning of the film, while diving from the Rooster (Miles Teller), the master and the ax-wielding student finally cross paths, and the mood is understandably tense. Still holding Maw responsible for Gus’s death, things take a turn for the worse when it’s revealed that Mitchell deliberately kept Rooster from joining the Top Gun program at Carol’s request.

Confirmed to have died before the events of Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. Bradshaw asked Maverick to promise that he would make sure Rooster didn’t follow his father’s flight path and that another pilot in the family would go on duty. It is this oath that causes a great divide between the old pilot and the rookie, until they eventually put aside their differences and work together. Now this “Top Gun 3” enters development(and Miles Teller is ready for a “Top Gun: Rooster” spin-off.) duo of Mitchell and Bradshaw can once again fly around like big fireballs, and maybe throw in a day at the beach for good measure.