Kilmer followed this up with his role in Heat, making 1995 the biggest year of his career by far. Still, the third film in the franchise was the biggest box office draw of 1995.

Jim Carrey's high energy scene-stealing role as The Riddler made the film feel more like The Jim Carrey Show than anything else. The only real problem with Kilmer's Batman is that Batman Forever wasn't much about him. He had a lot of pressure on him in replacing someone as loved as Michael Keaton, and while he's not seen as being as good as Keaton, he was believable in the role and didn't embarrass himself like his successor would. Batman Forever was hit-and-miss in its tone and execution, but Kilmer did an adequate job. It was the ideal audition for Batman.ĭirector Joel Schumacher, best known at the time for films like The Lost Boys and The Client, aimed to make a lighter Batman film that felt more like a comedy than something so dark and serious. The latter especially showed how he could so effortlessly play a cool character. He had taken off as a leading man in the 1990s with roles as Jim Morrison in The Doors and Doc Holliday in Tombstone.

Kilmer had long become more than just Iceman from Top Gun. There weren't the same doubts about Kilmer, though he did have to deal with Keaton's shadow, as Keaton had done a phenomenal job in his two outings as the Caped Crusader. Mom wasn't worthy of such a huge responsibility. When Michael Keaton was cast in the same role in the decade before, he had to deal with a lot of criticism from fans who thought the guy best known for Mr. In 1995, Val Kilmer was at the peak of his career and a perfect choice to be the next Batman.

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