Tom Cruise has confirmed that a big name actress will be joining the sequel ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

As previously reported, Cruise shared a first pic from the set a month ago to mark the start of production.

Miles Teller, who audiences would know from ‘Whiplash’ and more recently starred in ‘Only the Brave’, was recently cast as Goose’s son.

Aside from Cruise, Val Kilmer is also set to return to his original role of ‘Iceman’. They will be joined by ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Blood Diamond’ actress Jennifer Connelly. Her role is understood to be that of a single mother running a bar near the airbase.

Connelly was initially only rumoured to have been cast in the film, but Cruise confirmed at the ‘Mission: Impossible Fallout’ premiere in Washington D.C. over the weekend that the actress has indeed joined the cast.

He told ET Online: “Look, she’s a great actress, obviously. ...When you see the film, you’ll see why she’s perfect for it.

“She has such a very talented, very vibrant, and, you know, see we’re just going to have a great cast. Gonna be a lot of fun.”

Cruise explained that he is continuing work on ‘Maverick’ while promoting ‘Mission: Impossible Fallout,’ which director Christopher McQuarrie and co-star Henry Cavill have also been on the road promoting, at the same time.

“We are actually working on Top Gun full-time while I’m doing this,” Cruise explained. “Yeah, we’ll go right into. I mean, I’ve started already so I’ve been full-on. Even when we’re on that tour, I’ve been working.”

Directed by ‘Oblivion’ director Joe Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is scheduled for release in July 2019.