Val Kilmer has in interesting take on the popularity of the Batman franchise. Kilmer portrayed the caped crusader in 1995's Batman Forever, so he knows a little bit about the character. The actor says that he was traveling around Africa in 1994 where he found himself in a bat cave. He was then inspired to call his agent, who had been trying to get ahold of him for weeks to discuss taking over for Michael Keaton in the role of Bruce Wayne. Kilmer claims he had no idea these talks were happening behind-the-scenes.

However, during a recent interview, Val Kilmer broke down what it meant to play the Dark Knight in Batman Forever. In typical Kilmer fashion, it's fairly abstract, but it makes sense. Kilmer remembered when Warren Buffett took his grandkids to meet him on the set of the movie and something clicked. All the kids wanted to do was ride in the Batmobile and see the Batsuit, along with all of the toys. They had zero interest in Kilmer, who was playing Batman on the big screen.

This experience completely changed the way Val Kilmer thought about the Batman franchise forever (no pun intended). The character is supposed to be so anonymous that anyone can play him. "That's why it's so easy to have five or six Batmans," Kilmer says. "It's not about Batman. There is no Batman." While the actor's words may confuse some fans who often like to fight about who played the best version of the character, it does make a lot of sense. The character and the mythology is much bigger than any actor taking on the role and stepping into the suit.

Val Kilmer was reportedly a nightmare to work with while making Batman Forever. Joel Schumacher called him psychotic in an interview after directing him in the movie, which is mainly why George Clooney was brought on board to replace him. Kilmer claims that is was because of a scheduling conflict having to do with The Saint. Regardless, Kilmer is not the same person he was back in 1994 and 1995. He has had a lot of time to reflect on the things he has done on various sets. He still maintains that a lot of stories about him are false, or that they have been embellished.

As for the Dark Knight, Robert Pattinson is the latest actor to suit up in Matt Reeves' The Batman. There was a big uproar about the young actor taking over the role after Ben Affleck was supposed to write, direct, and star in the project. However, it seems that a lot of people are finally coming around, especially after seeing the actor in a new version of the iconic suit. We'll just have to wait and see how the movie is accepted when it finally hits theaters. The interview with Val Kilmer was originally conducted by The New York Times.