Val Kilmer Discovered Batman's True Nature While Shooting BATMAN FOREVER: "There Is No Batman"
While I didn’t much care for director Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, I did like Val Kilmer’s performance in the role. He brought something different and cool to the character, the filmmaker just didn’t build a good story around the character, and it was one of the strangest Batman films that has been made.
When Kilmer initially took the role of Batman, he had no idea about the kind of challenges it would bring. He took the role because he thought it would be cool and fun, but when talking about the reality of the situation, in the documentary Val, the actor said: "Whatever boyish excitement I had going in was crushed by the reality of the Batsuit."
The Batsuit weighed 100 pounds and due to the rubber cowl, he could barely move in it, and he couldn’t hear anyone that was trying to talk to him. It became frustrating for him. But, it was during his time shooting the film that he discovered Batman’s true nature and what made the character so timeless and relatable.
While speaking to The New York Times, Kilmer shared an experience on the set where when he was about to remove his Batman costume, billionaire Warren Buffett showed up on the set because his grandkids wanted to see Batman. So, Kilmer kept the suit on, but the kids didn't really want to talk to him. They didn’t care about the man behind the suit, they just wanted to put on the cowl and sit in the Batmobile!
Kilmer explained that this was a pivotal moment for him where he realized Batman wasn't supposed to be an actual person behind the cowl that you can interact with or talk to, he’s the symbol that others can see themselves in. The actor explained:
“That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans. It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman.”
Let’s not forget that when James Gunn announces who will play Batman in Brave and The Bold. It doesn’t matter who plays him, it’s not about who is cast in the role, it's about the Batman story.
Kilmer also shared one other story which led to him playing the Dark Knight. He shared that when he was in Africa in 1994 when he decided to go into a bat cave. Later that day, he called his agent...who had been trying to get a hold of him for a couple of weeks. It turns out Warner Bros. was looking for a new Batman because Michael Keaton decided not to return to the role without Tim Burton at the helm. That all lead to Kilmer stepping into the role.
Via: SyFy Wire