Val Kilmer Is Coming To DC FanDome, And Batman Fans Want To Know What It Means

When DC FanDome dropped its massive list of stars that will be attending the virtual event at the end of August, you’d think it’d be hard to pick just one name that stood out above the rest. But apparently DC Comics fans are flocking to social media to go absolutely wild about one name and one name only: Val Kilmer.

Kilmer’s presence at the fan event is surprising for a variety of reasons. The actor has never spoken fondly of his time making Batman Forever, which saw him play the Caped Crusader just once before being replaced by George Clooney. There’s also the small issue of director Joel Schumacher repeatedly referring to Kilmer as “psychotic” and vowing never to work with the actor again.

However, Kilmer recently waxed philosophical about his short time as Batman during a recent interview with The New York Times. While recounting a set visit from Warren Buffet and his grandchildren, the actor noticed that the kids didn’t care about meeting Batman, they wanted to try on the Batsuit and sit in the Batmobile. The revelation caused Kilmer to realize that Batman is meant to be “so anonymous” that anyone can see themselves as the hero. “That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans,” Kilmer told the Times. “It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman.”

There’s also the matter of Schumacher’s death. The director passed away in early June, not long after Kilmer’s interview with the Times, and with his death came rumors of a “Schumacher Cut” of Batman Forever that Warner Bros. might be sitting on. With Kilmer now added to the DC FanDome roster, it didn’t take long for fans to start raising their eyebrows.

— Always Hold On To Smallville (@alwaysmallville) August 7, 2020