5. VAL KILMER
Kilmer has his defenders. He wasn’t terrible but also wasn’t great. His portrayal of Bruce Wayne had a rather hollow personality to it. It’s no secret that Kilmer takes his craft very seriously (it’s noted in the Val documentary). With Batman, Kilmer took the character in his own direction, rather than continuing what was done before him.
He, like Clooney, also hated being in the batsuit. It limited his physical performance as Batman, which also led to notable headbutting between Kilmer and director Joel Schumacher. Kilmer is a great actor, but Batman just wasn’t his finest hour.
His portrayal’s not without its modest redeeming qualities. The film around him is fair at best and Jim Carrey’s turn as the Riddler was the real show here.
