Val Kilmer, Star of 'Batman Forever,' 'Tombstone,' Dies at 65 [View all]

Source: Variety

Apr 1, 2025 9:04pm PT


Mark Humphrey/AP/REX/Shutterstoc


Val Kilmer, who played Bruce Wayne in “Batman Forever,” channeled Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone‘s “The Doors” and starred as a tubercular Doc Holliday in “Tombstone,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. His daughter Mercedes told The New York Times the cause was pneumonia. He was 65. He had been battling throat cancer for several years.

Kilmer’s reps did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

The baby-faced blonde actor had a solid run as a leading man with a volatile reputation in the ’80s and ’90s, starring in “Top Gun,” “Real Genius,” “Willow,” “Heat,” and “The Saint.” He returned briefly to screens in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick” although he could no longer speak due to his cancer.

In 2021, a documentary on his life, “Val,” was released. His son provided the actor’s voice and the film utilized hundreds of hours of video he had recorded over the years, giving a revealing look at the sets he worked on and showing the actor to be an introspective thinker with an artist’s soul.

Read more: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/val-kilmer-dead-batman-forever-tombstone-1236354606/