5. Val Kilmer
Potentially controversial, but Batman Forever really isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. There were a lot of interesting elements of Schumacher’s original plan that were ultimately scrapped by a concerned studio, and the idea that Batman Forever should move away from the darkness of Burton’s films was one of the most ill-advised decisions in cinematic history. However, flashes of these ideas and themes were still present in Val Kilmer’s Batman, and that’s what earns him the number five spot on this list.
Kilmer’s version of Batman grapples with his dual identity, and though it doesn’t come into play as much as it was originally intended to, it’s still present in the finished film. This hints at a much greater depth to Kilmer’s version of the character, and that’s something that makes Batman Forever all the more fascinating: its vibrant visuals conceal a hidden emotional crisis that lends a certain something to Kilmer’s Batman. He’s a little wooden at times, but this also feeds into the idea that the character is undergoing some severe existential discomfort.
Kilmer commands a certain presence in the suit that simply feels right. Batman Forever‘s script was decidedly hit and miss, but Kilmer himself delivers a valiant effort that makes his Batman intriguing, even if he was ultimately wasted in the role. There’s an untapped potential to Val Kilmer’s Batman that makes him particularly fascinating, and that goes some way to making up for the general shortcomings of Batman Forever.