10 Reasons Why Val Kilmer Is The Most Underrated Batman
2. His Batman Voice Was Perfect
Batman's voice has been a subject of debate amongst fans for years now. Some feel that he should speak in a different tone to Bruce Wayne to keep his identity a secret while others think he should use a voice modulator instead.
Over the years, we have seen the majority of actors attempt to alter their tone when playing Batman (unless you're George Clooney) and, most of the time, it served them well while adding to the overall believability of the narrative. Unfortunately, Val Kilmer's successful attempt to do so was just another one of the many aspects of his Batman that was overlooked.
Kilmer approached the voice issue rather differently than those who came before and after him. He didn't dial back the emotion altogether like Michael Keaton and he certainly didn't roar out every last syllable because that would be unethical (seriously Christian, calm down). Instead, he found something of a happy medium, speaking in a controlled, matter-of-fact tone that felt totally in line with how Batman would conduct himself.
It was just a more subtle approach and, given that subtlety is The Dark Knight's speciality, Kilmer's disguised Batman voice really does deserve more appreciation.