Former Batman Val Kilmer Shares His Theory On Character’s Popularity

Former Batman star Val Kilmer recently shared theory as to why the character is so popular and how multiple actors can play the role in a relatively short time.

Val Kilmer, of course, portrayed Batman in the 1995 film, Batman Forever. While technically a sequel to Batman Returns, the film none the less marked a radical departure in style, tone, and direction from the previous two films. Former director Tim Burton left the director’s chair and stepped into a producer role with lead actor Michael Keaton leaving the franchise altogether. The director was, of course, replaced with Joel Schumacher and Keaton was replaced by Val Kilmer.

The film’s legacy is, of course, somewhat mixed. At the time, the film received mixed reviews but none the less managed to outgross its predecessor which eventually lead to the production of the despised Batman & Robin. Val Kilmer, however, did not return to the role. The actual reasoning behind this depends on who tells the story but Val Kilmer was none the less replaced by George Cloney in the film’s sequel, making it the third time a new actor had taken on the role in less than a decade.

While speaking to The New York Times, Val Kilmer shared his own personal theory as to why so many actors were able to slip into the role in a relatively short amount of time. He told a story where Warran Buffet visited the set of Batman Forever with his grandchildren. They were apparently utterly enamored with the suit and all the technology but didn’t give Val Kilmer a second look. According to the actor, people’s love of Batman has nothing to do with the character but an audience member’s ability to self insert themselves as the Caped Crusader:

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

What do you all make of Val Kilmer’s words? Is this the reason why Batman is so popular? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Source: The New York Times