The film was a critical and commercial success and spawned two sequels, the first of which was nominated eight Oscars, winning Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger posthumously.
RELATED: Ben Affleck Opens Up About The Batman ExitKilmer would be replaced as Batman by George Clooney in 1997’s Batman & Robin, which went on to be universally panned by critics and audiences alike and grossed nearly $100 million less than its predecessor, causing the DC character to remain dormant in the film world for nearly a decade before Christopher Nolan brought him back with 2005’s Batman Begins starring Christian Bale in the titular role.
Previous interviews with Schumacher stated that Kilmer’s decision to not return for Batman & Robin came from the star’s desire to star in The Island of Doctor Moreau alongside Marlon Brando, saying Kilmer dropped Batman “at the eleventh hour,” but he reveals the bigger reason came from being unimpressed with the role and recalling a moment when billionaire Warren Buffett visited the set with his grandkids.
Kilmer describes how he “relished” playing characters with some depth, such as Doc Holliday in Tombstone, and that he felt if he couldn’t do that he wanted to have fun playing his characters, even mentioning a desire to have been on Saturday Night Live, but that he had a moment of realization on the set of Batman Forever in which the character was neither unique nor entertaining for him to portray.