Val Kilmer’s Batman Return Would Fix Schumacher’s Biggest Crime

A cameo reprisal for Val Kilmer’s Batman would let DC fix an old Joel Schumacher Batman movie mistake. First it was a gritty and grounded tone (thanks Nolan), then it was a shared universe (thanks Feige), now multiverses are the hottest commodity in superhero movies. Marvel and DC have each realized that quantum-hopping is a perfect way to incorporate past and present, meaning Michael Keaton’s Batman is now lined up for The Flash and… wait, never mind. Naturally, then, Val Kilmer (who portrayed Bruce Wayne in 1995’s Batman Forever) is currently facing questions over his potential Caped Crusader comeback.

Recently reprising a different iconic role in Top Gun: Maverick, Kilmer was asked (via IGN) whether he’d be interested in a Batman return if that phone call ever came. The actor left no doubt he’d jump at the chance. After replacing Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer’s Batman career ended in weirdly abrupt fashion. Despite mixed reactions to Batman Forever, Kilmer was initially slated to continue alongside Chris O’Donnell’s Robin in Batman & Robin. As director Joel Schumacher would later describe it, Kilmer half-quit, was half-fired. Schumacher claims his actor became difficult on-set; Kilmer claims he wanted to explore other projects.

While the truth of Val Kilmer’s Batman exit is muddled, one undeniable truth shines through – the actor shouldn’t have been unceremoniously dumped and replaced with George Clooney. Though you’d be hard-pressed to consider him alongside Keaton, Bale and Pattinson, Val Kilmer was a much better Batman/Bruce Wayne combo than he often gets credit for. And while Kilmer’s presence alone wouldn’t have saved Batman & Robin from abject failure, Joel Schumacher’s sequel would be vastly improved with his Batman instead of the miscast Clooney. Bringing Val Kilmer back to DC can give his Dark Knight the send-off Schumacher’s movies never did, and celebrate a Bat-carnation that often gets unfairly tarnished by unhappiness over Batman Forever‘s lighter tone, and the terrible sequel he didn’t even appear in.

Will Val Kilmer’s Batman Return? How & Where It Could Happen

The movie industry landscape in 2022 is weirder than ever. Who could’ve predicted a 3-way Spider-Man crossover, a Top Gun sequel dominating the box office, and Warner Bros. canceling a completed movie all inside 12 months. By comparison, Val Kilmer cameo-ing as an older version of Batman Forever‘s Bruce Wayne isn’t outlandish at all, especially now DC’s multiverse mechanic has made such franchise-crossing shenanigans possible.

Unfortunately, his prospects still look slim. Warner Bros. Discovery and the DCEU franchise are presently in a state of chaotic upheaval. Batgirl‘s cancelation, release dates more slippery than Aquaman’s bathroom floor, and designs for a Marvel-style 10-year plan all suggest Warner Bros. isn’t quite sure where its DC movie franchise is heading. Until the dust settles and Warner Bros. knows what it wants from the pieces it already has on the board, Val Kilmer likely won’t be fielding any calls.

If Val Kilmer did return to DC, The Flash would be his best entry point… under normal circumstances. The time-bending Flashpoint-inspired storyline already has Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck crossing over – what’s one more alternate Gotham City between Bat-friends? However, The Flash is currently embroiled in a whirlwind of controversy surrounding its star, Ezra Miller, and question marks remain over the film’s very future. Assuming Kilmer hasn’t filmed scenes for The Flash already, avoiding a cameo in the 2023 DC crossover may just be his biggest dodged bullet since Batman & Robin.

If Val Kilmer’s Batman appears anywhere, the small screen might be his best bet. The Flash aside, no movie currently on DC’s slate demands an alternate universe Batman cameo, and while the Arrowverse franchise is winding down, there’s time for a crossover or two yet. The “Crisis on Infinite Earths” storyline already incorporated a whole raft of former heroes to great success (some just as underrated as Kilmer), and the Batman Forever star would likely be appreciated more by Arrowverse viewers than a casual Batman movie audience.