The actor took only one turn in the famous batsuit. That film, “Batman Forever,” couldn’t be a more representative artifact of its era.

The late, great Val Kilmer portrayed many iconic characters throughout his career, but his performance as Batman deserves far more appreciation.

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, legendary actor Val Kilmer, best known for Batman Forever and Top Gun, died at 65 years old. His daughter, Mercedes, revealed pneumonia to be the cause of death to The New York Times. The actor passed away in his Los Angeles home. He has a long history of battling throat cancer.

Actor Val Kilmer, who starred in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s and 90s, including Top Gun and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65. He also appeared in 1991's The Doors - playing the legendary band's frontman Jim Morrison - plus the Western Tombstone and crime drama Heat.

TRIBUTE: The star of ‘The Doors’, ‘Top Gun’, ‘Heat’ and ‘Batman Forever’ – who has died at the age of 65 – was notorious for clashing with directors and struggling with his own celebrity. Coupled with his undeniable talent,

Val Kilmer, a movie star in the 1980s and ‘90s who played everything from Batman to Doc Holliday, died on Tuesday, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, who released a statement to the New York Times.

In what would be the final years of his life, Val Kilmer leaned more into a different type of art than acting, but he never forgot his fans.

Val Kilmer dies at 65

Val Kilmer also starred in many classic films of the 1980s and 1990s such as "Tombstone," "Heat" and "Real Genius."