Val Kilmer ‘was in discussions to reprise his role as Batman before his death aged 65’

Val Kilmer was reportedly in discussions to reprise his role as Batman before his death at the age of 65.

The Hollywood actor, who starred as the Caped Crusader in ‘Batman Forever’, is said to have been in talks to appear in ‘The Batman Part II’ alongside Robert Pattinson as an older, battle-hardened version of the Dark Knight.

Val, whose death in Los Angeles from complications linked to pneumonia after a long throat cancer battle was announced on Tuesday (01.04.25), had expressed interest in returning to the role, a source told RadarOnline.com.

The insider said: “Val had talked about playing an older, broken version of Batman speaking through a voice box in the film.

“It’s the kind of nostalgia fans of the franchise would have enjoyed, so you can see why movie bosses were keen to feature him.”

The actor previously made a triumphant return to the big screen in 2022 when he reprised his role as Iceman in 'Top Gun: Maverick'.

The character was adapted to reflect Kilmer’s real-life health struggles, using artificial intelligence to recreate his voice.

Insiders told Radar a similar approach may have been considered for his proposed Batman comeback in the upcoming sequel, scheduled for release in 2027.

Val first took on the role of Bruce Wayne in Joel Schumacher’s 1995 film ‘Batman Forever’, replacing Michael Keaton.

While the film was a box office success, he later described his time behind the mask as difficult, saying the restrictive suit made it nearly impossible to act.

Born in Los Angeles in 1959, Kilmer rose to fame with a string of hit films in the 1980s and 1990s. He gained international recognition as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the 1986 blockbuster 'Top Gun' and later portrayed Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic of the wildman in ‘The Doors’.

He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and underwent extensive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a tracheostomy, which left him with permanent vocal damage. Despite being declared cancer-free in 2016, he continued to face severe health challenges.

His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed his death, saying he passed away "peacefully, surrounded by loved ones".

The actor is survived by Mercedes, 33, and his son, Jack, 29, whom he shared with his former wife, actress Joanne Whalley.

His last Instagram video saw him putting on a Batman mask and saying to the camera: “I’m ready.”