Val Kilmer thinks Tom Cruise should take a break from action movies.

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer

The 59-year-old actor has had a great time working with the 'Mission: Impossible' star on the upcoming 'Top Gun' sequel, 'Maverick', but thinks his friend needs to "re-establish himself" in the world of comedy because they never stopped laughing on set.

He told The Hollywood Reporter: "It will be a great film, I promise.

"This time around had me laughing with Tom like a high schooler. He's so funny. I hope he's saved the world enough to take a decade and re-establish himself as a great comedian as he has it in him.

"And [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer is exactly the same as 30 years ago when I met him. So humble and attentive and focused and excited just to be on a set."

As well as 'Maverick', Val is also focused on his passion project 'Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddy' - a screenplay he has written about the legendary author and the female founder of Christian Science - and now he has a dream co-star in mind, he is hoping to start filming next year.

The actor - whose love of the writer also inspired his one-man production 'Citizen Twain' - said: "Both characters were geniuses and both have such distinct and valuable voices; I now know who I want to play Mrs. Eddy.

"Twain and Eddy are so crucial, in my opinion, to the nation and the world's progress, that this validation of their value doesn't have as much to do with me as it does an example of that 'mirror up to nature' [that] Shakespeare reminds us is the healing power in acting. Acting saves lives."

'Top Gun: Maverick' is set 34 years after the original hit the big screen and will focus on modern drone warfare and explore the end of the dogfighting era.

Tom and Val are back as their characters from the original, Maverick and Iceman, while Miles Teller is to play the son of Goose - Maverick's wingman who was played by Anthony Edwards in the original movie.