Supporting roles include Graham Greene as an Indian on the short con, James Coburn as a tournament host on the long con, and Alfred Molina as a less-than-threatening villain.
How others will see it. Maverick was generally successful both at the box office and with critics. The cast and direction are agreeable, and are carefully designed for broad audience appeal. Practically no one cared that suspenseful moments have all too obvious resolutions. Hint: Gibson won't be hanged, or be crushed by a stagecoach, or fall off a cliff, or get killed in a gunfight. And he'll make it to his seat just in time for the second round of the poker tournament. Which he will win in the most dramatic fashion possible, with the best possible hand, topped by the best possible card.
How I felt about it. Maverick is loaded with cameos by country singers (e.g. Clint Black, Waylon Jennings) and western television actors (e.g. Denver Pyle, James Drury). There are also numerous references to the Lethal Weapon franchise, which Donner directed and Gibson (of course) starred in. Such shenanigans add to the ambience of Maverick. It is an attractive and entertaining western comedy that doesn't take itself (or its story) too seriously.
Maverick is principally about its three main characters, each of which represents a target audience. The unusually large role of Marshall Cooper encourages the older age group that remembers the "Maverick" television series, particularly since it retains the same actor, James Garner, that starred in the series. Jodie Foster is present to draw women, who want to see her not only win the alpha male, but beat him at his own game(s).
The most important role, that of the title character, is given to an "A"-list male lead, Mel Gibson. He is designed to appeal to both men and women. Gibson is adept at action and is at home in a western. Best of all, he has known chemistry with Donner from his Lethal Weapon series, which mixes comedy (and some romance) in with the action.
The problem here, to the extent that there is one, is that the story is secondary to the characters. Gibson, Foster, and Garner continually re-unite not because the story compels it, but because audience expectations demand it. The trio is likable enough, but shenanigans with tame Indians, stupid Russian aristocrats, runaway carriages, cliffside perils, corrupt tournament hosts, and hitmen who don't hit seem thrown in just for fun, so we can appreciate the cinematography. The focus ought to be on the poker tournament itself, and on the relationship between card sharp Mel Gibson and grifter Jodie Foster.