The move happens after Powell was in contention for — and lost — the part of Goose’s son, which will be played by Miles Teller.

Joseph Kosinski, who directed Cruise in the sci-fi thriller Oblivion, is directing the long-in-the-works sequel to the seminal 1986 movie that starred Tom Cruise as the hotshot pilot with the call sign Maverick.

In June, young Hollywood actors were champing at the bit to play the son of Goose, Maverick’s wingman who dies in a tragic accident in the original movie. The testing process, which involved flying to Cruise’s home in Clearwater, Florida, saw the finalists come down to Powell and Teller, with Teller ultimately winning.

But Cruise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and execs at Paramount and Skydance were so impressed with Powell that they tried to find another part for the actor. In fact, the movie’s makers are so intent on having Powell that they are beefing up the role for him.

Details of Powell's role are being kept in the hangar.

Powell played astronaut John Glenn in Hidden Figures and appeared in Scream Queens. He is repped by ICM Partners and Bloom Hergott.