It’s not a secret I’m a big Val Kilmer fan going all the way back to 1984’s Top Secret. It’s also not a secret I’m a big Batman fan, so when it was announced Kilmer would be taking over the role when Michael Keaton declined to return for Batman Forever I was pretty excited (even with Joel Schumacher directing). For those of you who have never seen it, Batman Forever starred Kilmer (Batman), Chris O’Donnel (Robin), Tommy Lee Jones (Harvey Dent/Two Face), Jim Carrey (The Riddler), and Nicole Kidman (Dr. Chase Meridian). Even with that serious star-power, the 1995 film is widely regarded by many critics and fans as one of the worst movies in the Batman franchise.

There are definitely a lot of things I didn’t like about it myself (I’m looking at YOU Nicole, Kidman), but I actually liked Kilmer’s take on the Dark Night. Over the years, director Joel Schumacher has said Kilmer’s decision to exit the franchise “at the eleventh hour” out came from the star’s desire to star in The Island of Doctor Moreau alongside Marlon Brando. But in a lenghty profile piece in The New York Times the actor tells a different story about why he decided to leave the role.

While speaking with NYT’s Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Kilmer recounts a moment on set  which made it clear to him he didn’t want to play the Caped Crusader after Batman Forever. According to Kilmer, one day in between filming, he decided to stay in costume because he heard VIP visitors were coming to set who wanted to see him in the suit. Those visitors turned out to be billionaire investor Warren Buffet and his grandchildren, who apparently were less interested in seeing Kilmer — even in his suit — and more interested in looking the sets and props, including the Batmobile.

Kilmer told Brodesser-Akner that this moment made him realize it doesn’t matter who wears the cape and cowl: “That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans. It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman.” A number of other A-list stars went on to play Batman after Kilmer, including George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and soon, Robert Pattinson.

The interview covers a wide range of topics including some of Kilmer’s other roles and the the stories of him being difficult to work with and possibly losing work because of that reputation. He said, “Everyone has to work out their own salvation. How to live and by what morality, and I found that the part that I feel bad about is hurting somebody in the process.”

It’s definitely an interview worth reading for any Kilmer fan. The actor also recently released a memoir, “I’m You’re Huckleberry” which is on sale now. What did you think about Kilmer’s portrayal of Batman in Batman Forever? Do you have a favorite Batman? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.