Val Kilmer reported to be a top contender, though just days after Keaton dropped out, Kilmer was cast. Kilmer took the role without even knowing who the new director was and without reading the script. Released in June 1995, "Batman Forever" was a success at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. There was debate about Kilmer's performance: some critics, like "The New York Times" Janet Maslin, thought Kilmer was a poor successor to Keaton in the part; while others, such as Roger Ebert, had kind words for Kilmer. "Batman" creator Bob Kane said in a "Cinescape" interview that of
Robert Downey Jr. filmography had a regular role in the television series "Ally McBeal" in 2000, which won him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. He was then cast in the 2003 films "The Singing Detective" alongside Robin Wright and "Gothika" with Halle Berry. In 2005, he starred in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" with Val Kilmer; in "Good Night, and Good Luck" with David Strathairn and George Clooney; and voiced the character of Patrick Pewterschmidt in the animated series "Family Guy". The following year, he appeared in the animated science fiction film "A Scanner Darkly" and as Paul Avery in the 2007 film