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
Val Kilmer Kilmer said in April 2017 that he had a "healing of cancer". In a profile for "The Hollywood Reporter", it was revealed that Kilmer had a "two-year battle with throat cancer...and a procedure on his trachea has reduced his voice to a rasp and rendered him short of breath." Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with "Top Secret!" (1984), then the cult classic "Real Genius" (1985), as well as the military action film "Top