Val Kilmer Explains Why He Walked Away From Batman After Playing The Role Once

Val Kilmer is not impressed with Batman’s character.

Several actors wish to play the Dark Knight on the big screen. Kilmer was given the chance to do so, but he walked away after making one “Batman” movie.

Kilmer played the lead role in “Batman Forever” in 1995. He was supposed to return and reprise his role for “Batman & Robin,” but he was replaced by George Clooney.

According to him, there was a conflict of schedule at the time because he was also filming “The Saint.” However, there were also rumors that he was difficult to work with.

The New York Times recently featured Kilmer and in his dialogue with the publication, he explained why he left the Batman franchise after a single movie. He admitted that he didn’t find the character fun or special.

He recalled an incident when Warren Buffett and his grandkids visited the Batman set. He was about to take off the Batsuit, but he decided to continue wearing it because the children wanted to see Batman.

He then noticed that they didn’t want to talk to him and simply wanted to try the mask on and ride the Batmobile. He realized that Batman isn’t meant to be a real guy. He is meant to be anonymous, so that anyone looking at him can find himself in him.

“That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans,” Kilmer said. “It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman.”

The 1997 “Batman” movie by Clooney was considered the weakest one that it took almost a decade before the Caped Crusader scored another movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In 2005, Christopher Nolan directed “Batman Begins” starring Christian Bale. It was a massive hit and Bale made two more “Batman” films.

In an interview with Toronto Sun, Bale confessed that Warner Bros. came to him for another “Batman” movie. It would have been his fourth film wearing the Batsuit. However, he turned it down because Nolan already said that they would only be doing a trilogy.

When they scored the first film, they thought they would not get another opportunity to do it. When they were offered the second “Batman” movie, they thought it would be the last. When they did the third, Nolan told him that it was enough and they would stop after that.

“We have to stick to Chris’ dream, which was always to, hopefully, do a trilogy. Let’s not stretch too far and become overindulgent and go for a fourth,” Bale explained.

After Bale, Ben Affleck took over the iconic role. For Batman fans, another movie is in the works starring Robert Pattinson. “The Batman” will premiere on Oct. 1, 2021.