Why didn't Val Kilmer return for Batman & Robin?

[Dream]

Whenever I watch the original four Batman movies, I get a little whiplash going from Burton's first two movies to Schumacher two toytastic Batmans. One of the major reasons for that is that the part of Batman/Bruce was once again recast and given to a new actor.

Kilmer did a decent if unremarkable job in Forever.

Do you think Kilmer could have done better than George Clooney if he had kept his job?

Would Batman & Robin been better or do you think it would have still sucked?

George Clooney On Batman And Robin "It Was A Difficult Film To Be Good In”

 

[Admiral_Young]

I believe he left to do "The Saint".

 

[Guy Gardener]

Pretending to make out with Elizabeth Shue, or pretending to make out with Uma Thurman... tough choice. Although, maybe he thought that he would have to pretend to make out with Nicole Kidman again and she wasn't entirely his cup of tea.

(Idiot.)

Though Schumacher was a dick not to lock Val into a multi picture deal, unless he wasn't allowed to do that after they probably had to buy Burton out of his "contract" or at the least pay him to wander off with out causing property damage.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Supposedly he was very difficult to work with during Forever. Shumacher frequently butted heads with him.

I actually read an interview with Shumacher - who, it must be said, comes across as a very nice man, whatever you think of his films - in which he said in all sincerity that Kilmer was clearly a very disturbed individual who needed help. I've also heard him say:

He was being irrational and ballistic with the first assistant director, the cameraman, the costume people," Schumacher told Entertainment Weekly. "He was rude and inappropriate. He was childish and impossible. I was forced to tell him that this would not be tolerated for one more second. Then we had two weeks where he did not speak to me but it was bliss!"

http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-actorsvdirectors/18/

Certainly, around the same time, The Island of Doctor Moreau, in which Kilmer also appeared, led to numerous stories about what a nightmare he was on set, so Shumacher may have had some point here. Indeed, it was Shumacher who personally cast Kilmer in Batman Forever.

 

[Trekker4747]

Why didn't Val Kilmer return for Batman & Robin?

He saw "Batman Forever."

He read the "B&R" script.

Do you think Kilmer could have done better than George Clooney if he had kept his job?

No. In Forever Kilmer had all the screen presence of drywall. I'm pretty sure he was given six Valium at the beginning of the day and then filming took place while he was sleepwalking.

For all of the problems "B&R" had, Clooney wasn't one of them. I'd argue he was the best thing about that movie because he was the most believable as Bruce Wayne b/millionaire playboy. He gets a lot of shit over the movie but, really, he had nothing to work with. If it was a much better script I think he could have really pulled it off.

Kilmer? It's easy to forget he's even in the movie even when watching a scene with him in it. When he's in the Riddler Booth "dreaming" bout bats? It's hard to tell the difference between that scene and every other scene he's in during the movie.

Kilmer sucked is what I'm getting at.

 

[The Badger]

He stated that he quit because he was unhappy that the role of Batman was being increasingly over shadowed by the bad guys and sidekicks. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,291605,00.html

It's also been claimed that whilst on the set of Heat one of his co-stars (either Al Pacino or Robert de Niro, I can't remember which) ribbed him mercilessly for appearing in a comic book, kids movie.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I heard that he stayed in character as Jim Morrison for two years after the movie wrapped.

 

[Saul]

I believe Jim Carrey mentioned in an interview that Kilmer wasn't that happy on set.
I liked his Batman over George Clooney who I felt was playing George Clooney and not Bruce Wayne.

 

[Set Harth]

Why didn't Val Kilmer return for Batman & Robin?

His Bat-Flop Detector.

It's also been claimed that whilst on the set of Heat one of his co-stars (either Al Pacino or Robert de Niro, I can't remember which) ribbed him mercilessly for appearing in a comic book, kids movie.

Given Dick Tracy, I would hope it was De Niro.

 

[Samurai8472]

He stated that he quit because he was unhappy that the role of Batman was being increasingly over shadowed by the bad guys and sidekicks. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,291605,00.html

It's also been claimed that whilst on the set of Heat one of his co-stars (either Al Pacino or Robert de Niro, I can't remember which) ribbed him mercilessly for appearing in a comic book, kids movie.

That was a rough time for comic book movies. High brow actors frowned on it.

Only those actors that didn't mind doing a "silly comic book" movie would sign up.


Now it's different with comic book movies getting Oscar nominations

 

[Captaindemotion]

He stated that he quit because he was unhappy that the role of Batman was being increasingly over shadowed by the bad guys and sidekicks. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,291605,00.html

It's also been claimed that whilst on the set of Heat one of his co-stars (either Al Pacino or Robert de Niro, I can't remember which) ribbed him mercilessly for appearing in a comic book, kids movie.

That was a rough time for comic book movies. High brow actors frowned on it.

Only those actors that didn't mind doing a "silly comic book" movie would sign up.


Now it's different with comic book movies getting Oscar nominations

I think that argument is somewhat difficult to accept. In Superman the Movie, you had Marlon Brando (double Oscar winner, widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time), Gene Hackman (already an Oscar winner for The French Connection, would later win another for Unforgiven) and Terence Stamp.

In Batman, you had Jack Nicholson (already two Oscars to his name, more to follow) and Jack Palance, screen legend. Christopher Walken (winner for The Deerhunter) and Michelle Pfeiffer (multiple Oscar nominee). There was lots of talk about Oscar nominations for Nicholson and Pfeiffer in those years, though ultimately neither was nominated. Batman Forever cast Tommy Lee Jones just after he won for The Fugitive.

Dick Tracy had Warren Beatty, James Caan, Pacino (who got an Oscar nomination for his role), Mandy Patinkin and Dustin Hoffman.

Even a movie like The Shadow could cast Ian McKellen (long before X-Men or Lord of the Rings) and Tim Curry and the great Patrick McGoohan made a rare but welcome big screen appearance in The Phantom.

 

[Dream]

Don't forget the actor that won an Oscar for playing the sad Clown.

 

[Greg Cox]

Even a movie like The Shadow could cast Ian McKellen (long before X-Men or Lord of the Rings) and Tim Curry and the great Patrick McGoohan made a rare but welcome big screen appearance in The Phantom.

And Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole (!) both appeared in Supergirl!

 

[Dream]

Even a movie like The Shadow could cast Ian McKellen (long before X-Men or Lord of the Rings) and Tim Curry and the great Patrick McGoohan made a rare but welcome big screen appearance in The Phantom.

And Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole (!) both appeared in Supergirl!

No, let's pretend that Supergirl never happened.

 

[The Badger]

...I think that argument is somewhat difficult to accept...

Fair enough. I'm going from one reference I half remember hearing from years ago, it's entirely plausible I got it wrong.

No, let's pretend that Supergirl never happened.

I'd rather pretend that Supergirl did happen, with a decent script and good direction, and was a success with three sequels. But I have a weakness for cute blondes in miniskirts, so that's just me.

Peter Cook wasn't in this version though. Brilliant satirist, not so hot as an actor. IMO

 

[Captaindemotion]

...I think that argument is somewhat difficult to accept...

Fair enough. I'm going from one reference I half remember hearing from years ago, it's entirely plausible I got it wrong.

To be fair, some actors turned down such roles because of the 'stigma.' I believe that Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role of Robin in Batman Forever, but that was because he didn't like the script, rather than a general dislike of comic book movies. And part of the reason why Nicholson got such an outrageously large fee for Batman was because he was concerned that the movie might affect his credibility.

But equally, there are still actors who don't want to do comic book movies. Viggo Mortensen and Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins, while Chris Cooper turned down the Gordon role (though again, I think this may have been down to disliking the script). I've also heard that Nolan and co were turned down by their first choice for The Joker, Sean Penn.

So what it seems to come down to is, some actors were and are willing to do comic book movies, some weren't and aren't.

 

[Greg Cox]

I dimly remember an interview with John Malkovich in which he admitted that, personally, he had no particular interest in spending weeks of his life playing a comic-book super-villain, so he would have to be extremely well-compensated to even consider it.

Fair enough. There's no reason it has to be every actor's dream to play Dr. Doom or Lex Luthor . . . or the Flash or Spider-Man for that matter.

 

[Dick Whitman]

And part of the reason why Nicholson got such an outrageously large fee for Batman was because he was concerned that the movie might affect his credibility.

I doubt that. He got a lot of money because he is Jack Nicholson! Same reason Brando got a ridiculous amount of money for his brief screen time in Superman. Back than studios felt big names were needed to justify the budgets superhero movies need.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Even a movie like The Shadow could cast Ian McKellen (long before X-Men or Lord of the Rings) and Tim Curry and the great Patrick McGoohan made a rare but welcome big screen appearance in The Phantom.

And Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole (!) both appeared in Supergirl!

No, let's pretend that Supergirl never happened.

Then I'd have to forget about the beautiful Helen Slater.

 

[Captaindemotion]

And part of the reason why Nicholson got such an outrageously large fee for Batman was because he was concerned that the movie might affect his credibility.

I doubt that. He got a lot of money because he is Jack Nicholson! Same reason Brando got a ridiculous amount of money for his brief screen time in Superman. Back than studios felt big names were needed to justify the budgets superhero movies need.

I remember reading this in a biography of Jack. Note that I said 'part of the reason.' Of course the reason you cite is part of it too.