Top Gun 2 is continuing to fill out its cast. Earlier this month, we reported that Miles Teller had landed the role of Goose’s son after beating out Glen Powell and Nicholas Hoult for the role. We also knew that Val Kilmer was set to return as Iceman, although the size of his role is unknown. And naturally, all of this casting surrounds Tom Cruise reprising his star-making turn as Maverick. Now it looks like the film is looking to add Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly to the cast. The actress is in early negotiations to join the picture.

Filming begins again on sequel, produced by Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer, in September after doing a few days of early photography back in May.  It should be interesting to see how Connelly factors in. According to THR, the role is "a single mother who runs a local bar near the Navy base," so take that, Charlie from the first movie! (I don't know why I said that; Charlie is perfectly lovely, and there's no need to go against the female lead from the previous movie)

However, Cruise previously revealed that the sequel will maintain the same tone as the original:

“We’re gonna have the same tone that we had with the first one. Stylistically it’s gonna be the same. We’re gonna have the same score from Harold Faltermeyer. Aviators are back. The need for speed, we’re gonna have big machines. It’s gonna be a competition film like the first one, and it’s gonna be in the same vein, the same tone as the first one but a progression for Maverick.

Connelly is a terrific actress, and I’m eager to see what she brings to the table. Like Teller, she previously worked with Top Gun 2 director Joseph Kosinski on Only the Brave. She’ll next be seen in Alita: Battle Angel.

Top Gun 2 opens July 13, 2019.

Additional reporting by Jeff Sneider.