Was Val Kilmer Going to Make Special Appearance in Upcoming Batman Movie Before His Tragic Demise? REPORT

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death. 

The world lost a legendary actor with Val Kilmer’s tragic death on April 1. However, he left behind plenty of legacies to cherish him by. One of Kilmer’s timeless and iconic performances was as Batman in the 1995 movie Batman Forever. 

Reportedly, the actor was planning on returning to the DC universe with a cameo in the upcoming Batman movie. A report from Radar Online claimed that, as per industry insiders, Kilmer was being considered for a “special” role in the highly anticipated Batman Part II. 

The movie will be the sequel to the 2022 Robert Pattinson starrer The Batman. The new addition to the Dark Knight saga is slated for release in 2027. 

According to the source, Kilmer was being considered to play an older and battle-scarred version of the titular DC hero, reprising the character he originally played in the franchise. He was reportedly going to incorporate the voice box he relied on for years after losing his voice in his battle with throat cancer.

Although the reports have not been confirmed, fans believe that the Top Gun actor hinted at his return as Batman through a cryptic social media post. Before his demise, he shared a video of him wearing a mark similar to the character, he even showed the drawing of a bruised and scarred Batman. 

“I'm ready,” he declared in the video, possibly hinting at his cameo. Unfortunately, the legendary drew his final breath at 65. On Tuesday, April 1, his daughter Mercedes told US media that he passed away due to pneumonia. 

Though his possible return to the DC universe remained incomplete, Kilmer made a memorable return to the big screen for Top Gun: Maverick. He reprised his iconic character, Admiral Iceman Kazansky, for a special appearance in the sequel. 

This also marked his reunion with Tom Cruise, who starred alongside him in the original movie. In 2023, the actor opened up about his reunion with Kilmer on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” Cruise said at the time.