Hollywood just lost another gem, as beloved actor Val Kilmer passed away at 65 on April 1st due to pneumonia.
Known for his roles as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun and The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, Kilmer will forever (pun definitely intended) be celebrated by comic book fans for his iconic portrayal of the caped crusader in 1995's Batman Forever.
Let's look back at his brief run as Batman and why it's time to admit that he's the definitive '90s iteration of the beloved hero.
Becoming The Dark Knight
After Batman Returns failed to match its predecessor's box office success in 1992, it was a conscious effort on Warner Bros. Pictures' part to bring a more lighthearted Batman to the big screen closer to his cartoon roots, so they enlisted the help of Joel Schumacher, who stepped in to replace Tim Burton.
When Keaton left the supposed threequel after disagreements with Schumacher's creative direction, the studio cast Kilmer, who was contacted by his agent for the part.
The gamble would pay off, as Batman Forever would gross $336.57 million worldwide, beating Returns' $266.9 million box office earnings. However, Kilmer wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and despite Forever's triumph, the actor would not return to do Batman & Robin, which put a pause on the franchise for nearly a decade.
Despite a Brief Run, Val Kilmer is the Definitive '90s Batman
According to reports, Kilmer turned down Batman & Robin due to several reasons, including a creative conflict with Schumacher and his belief that he was "underappreciated" for his performance.e
A bit ironic, considering he was actually a pretty solid Batman and Bruce Wayne. In fact, Batman Forever had the right mix of camp and darkness that previous and succeeding films wouldn't have.
While it can be argued that Michael Keaton set the tone for what a live-action Batman should be, it can't be denied that Kilmer had the look and charisma that made him a believable Dark Knight.
Even Batman co-creator Bob Kane famously vouched for Kilmer, saying in a Cinescape interview that Kilmer gave the best interpretation of the character up to that point. And for folks who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, watching Kilmer in action felt like he was ripped straight out of the cartoon.
George Clooney, on the other hand, had the potential to be a great Batman, but he was undoubtedly a victim of a bad creative direction coupled with the studio's desire to capitalize on merch sales. A move that ultimately backfired and led to the inception of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. So yeah, Kilmer definitely wins by a mile.
What's your favorite Val Kilmer role? Sound off in the comments!