After ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ Val Kilmer sets his sights on another revival: ‘Batman’
Val Kilmer fans, rejoice: Iceman wants to play Batman – again.
In a recent interview with IGN’s Jim Vejvoda, the actor confirmed that he would definitely reprise his role as the Caped Crusader after returning to the screen as Adm. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Vejvoda used email to communicate with Kilmer, whose voice was significantly weakened by a tracheostomy he underwent after he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer’s character also has throat cancer and speaks with the help of AI.
Kilmer starred as Batman opposite Chris O’Donnell’s Robin in the 1995 film “Batman Forever” – before George Clooney took up the mantle for 1997’s “Batman & Robin” and after Michael Keaton played the Dark Knight in 1989’s “Batman” and 1992’s “Batman Returns.”
When asked by IGN if he would consider portraying Bruce Wayne once more – given that “we now have multiple universes in comic book movies where actors who’ve played Batman or Spider-Man in the past team up with the current actor playing the role” – Kilmer replied, “Yea please,” according to a Twitter thread posted Tuesday by Vejvoda.
The 62-year-old performer added that he would also be interested in a sequel to the 1995 crime drama “Heat,” because he loves, trusts and gets along “great” with director Michael Mann.
It’s worth noting that Kilmer’s conversation with IGN comes shortly after Warner Bros. Discovery made the controversial decision to shelve “Batgirl,” which would have marked Keaton’s return as Batman alongside Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. The DC film cost $90 million to make and was set to debut on HBO Max before the studio scrapped the project.
This week, the directors of “Batgirl” lamented their inability to access any of the footage they shot – including “all the scenes” with Keaton’s Batman.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ rival studio, Sony Pictures, successfully pulled off the epic returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Mans for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which revitalized the pandemic box office in December.
Keeping that box office momentum going is “Top Gun: Maverick,” which saw Kilmer’s Iceman reunite with Tom Cruise’s Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell on the big screen 36 years after the original “Top Gun” hit theaters.
“During the first (‘Top Gun’) film we had a blast as young actors!!” Kilmer told IGN via email. “I was blown away by the scale of the sets! I have fond memories of the ‘behind the scenes!’ ”
“Most of film work is WAITING!!!” he added. “Takes a lot of discipline. On the new one, it was just nice to be with Tom and get the chance to connect again!!”
As for whether he was “happy with Iceman’s story arc” in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer said, “Well, actors ALWAYS want to do more so there’s that…”
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, “Top Gun: Maverick” opened in theaters over Memorial Day weekend to a whopping $124 million at the North American box office – the biggest domestic opening of Cruise’s entire career. The patriotic action flick, which just came out on digital, has continued to hover near the top of the charts for 13 consecutive weeks and counting. As of Sunday, the nostalgic sequel had grossed $1.4 billion worldwide.
“I don’t know if I’ve wrapped my head around it,” Kosinski said in a recent interview with Variety. “I’m amazed every day that it continues to play.”
The filmmaker also discussed the possibility of a follow-up to “Maverick” starring Cruise – or even an extended “Top Gun” cinematic universe that may or may not involve Cruise at all.
“Boy, I don’t know,” Kosinski said. “I approached [the sequel] as Maverick’s rite of passage being the fundamental core of the film. Who knows how it’ll be interpreted in the future.”
“You have to wait and see if you get the right story,” added Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” “and if Tom wants to play this character again.”