Val Kilmer’s Best Quotes As Batman In Batman Forever

Summary

• Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Batman in Batman Forever is now increasingly appreciated by fans for his iconic quotes and vocal range.
• Batman’s refusal to partner with Edward Nygma foreshadows the Riddler’s transformation and showcases Bruce Wayne’s priorities and values.
• The dynamic between Batman and Robin evolves from resistance to partnership, culminating in Batman embracing both his identities as Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader.

Not only is Batman Forever celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, but fans have had to say farewell to its respective Batman actor: Val Kilmer. He passed away on April 1, 2025, leaving behind a long legacy of iconic roles, from Iceman in the Top Gun movies to Madmartigan in Willow to Doc Holliday in Tombstone, but his Batman has gradually earned more love after thirty years.

While Batman Forever may not be everyone’s favorite movie about the Caped Crusader, even the critics consider Val Kilmer to be one of its best aspects. Part of that comes from multiple iconic quotes throughout the movie, ranging from fun one-liners to epic monologs cementing the late Val Kilmer as an iconic version of Batman.

8

“I Can Stop You.”

Val Kilmer Showcases His Vocal Range As Bruce Wayne

• Dick Grayson: “Bruce, whenever you go out at night, I’ll be watching. And wherever Batman goes, I’m gonna be right beside him. I mean, how are you gonna stop me?”
• Bruce Wayne: “I can stop you.”

Val Kilmer shows a contrast between the two different Bruce Wayne personas, such as when he is in the Batcave while talking to Dick Grayson, who had just saved him from Two-Face’s trap. Val Kilmer swaps his naturally soft and charismatic voice and expression for a stoic one, sounding almost akin to Kevin Conroy’s voice and allowing the character to be intimidating without requiring the signature Batsuit.

The dialogue also conveys how stubborn yet caring Batman can be; he doesn’t want Dick Grayson to be like him, but he still sympathizes with his plight. It also displays Val Kilmer’s range with his voice, something he had already displayed in The Doors, where he replicated the speaking and singing voice of Jim Morrison.

7

“Stimulating Neurons. Tampering With People’s Brainwaves. It Just Raises Too Many Questions.”

Batman Incidentally Paves The Way For Riddler

• Edward Nygma: “That’s not gonna be good for me. I need an answer now. I think I deserve it.”
• Bruce Wayne: “I’m sorry, Ed, then the answer’s no. Stimulating neurons. Tampering with people’s brainwaves. It just raises too many questions.”

Even though he must maintain the facade that he’s not a hardened vigilante fighting a soiree of supervillains, even as Bruce Wayne, he prioritizes the safety and well-being of others. This is evident when he denies Edward Nygma the opportunity to partner with him and fund his experiments, which would beam entertainment directly into users’ minds.

Bruce immediately sees the issues with such an invention and tells Edward, “Stimulating neurons. Tampering with people’s brainwaves. It just raises too many questions.” This not only shows Bruce’s good side as a philanthropist but also sends Edward Nygma on his path of transformation into the Riddler.

6

“I’ll Get Drive-Thru.”

A Cheesy But Memorable First Introduction

• Alfred Pennyworth: “Can I persuade you to take a sandwich with you, sir?”
• Batman: “I’ll get drive-thru.”

The first line that introduced Val Kilmer’s Batman is a one-liner, which became one of his version’s defining traits. For every scene where he is introspective and thought-provoking, he can also be a bit sassy with his one-liners, setting the tone for Batman Forever. After he suits up and the Batmobile is introduced during the opening credits, Alfred asks if Batman would like to take a sandwich with him, resulting in Batman replying with, “I’ll get drive-thru.”

It almost feels like a line James Bond would say on one of his adventures, showing how confident he is at this point in his career as Gotham’s protector. He is a Batman in his prime, so it makes sense that he’s not as tense. It’s also hilarious to imagine the Batmobile turning into a drive-thru to order some food.

5

“You Wake Up And Realize That Revenge Has Become Your Whole Life. And You Won’t Know Why.”

Bruce Explaining Why Batman Doesn’t Kill Anymore

• Bruce Wayne: “So, you’re willing to take a life?”
• Dick Grayson: “Long as it’s Two-Face.”
• Bruce Wayne: “Then it will happen this way: You make the kill, but your pain doesn’t die with Harvey, it grows. So you run out into the night to find another face, and another, and another, until one terrible morning you wake up and realize that revenge has become your whole life. And you won’t know why.”

Dick Grayson, understandably, wants to kill Two-Face for the murder of his family, and Bruce replies with some soft-spoken but important dialogue which showcases that Batman has regrets about killing. Bruce tries to teach Dick Grayson that vengeance is a dark and self-destructive path, referencing that he killed the man who gunned down his parents in Crime Alley.

The exchange also explores Bruce’s inner conflict regarding whether he still wants to be Batman because of the choices he’s made in life. It concludes with a powerful statement illustrating why Bruce and Dick are cut from the same cloth. When Dick insists that Bruce’s parents weren’t killed by a maniac, Bruce simply replies, “Yes, they were.”

4

“The Figure In The Dark Was My Destiny. It Would Change My Life Forever.”

Where The Dichotomy Of Batman And Bruce Wayne Began

• Bruce Wayne: “I was scared at first, but only at first. The figure in the dark was my destiny. It would change my life forever. I would use its image to strike terror into the hearts of those who did evil. I would ensure that what happened to me would never happen to anyone else again. I would have my revenge.”

Nearly every live-action Batman movie includes a depiction of the Wayne murders, which drives Bruce’s urge to fight crime. However, Batman Forever was the first film to effectively explain why he chose the bat as his symbol and moniker. This is achieved through flashbacks that show his childhood discovery of the Batcave and a bat that flew towards him at that moment.

Bruce recalls to Chase Meridian how he felt: afraid only at first, but empowered after. He would use the image of a bat to strike fear into the hearts of those who would do evil. This is the kind of inner monologue that feels straight out of the darker comic books, with Batman being almost like another personality that was born when the Waynes died and emerged when he saw the bat.

3

“I See Without Seeing. To Me, Darkness Is As Clear As Daylight. What Am I?”

Proof That Batman Has Brains And Brawn

• Batman: “I see without seeing. To me, darkness is as clear as daylight. What am I?”
• The Riddler: “Please! You’re as blind as a bat!”
• Batman: “Exactly.”

In the climactic showdown with Riddler and Two-Face, Batman knows he can’t fight the villain with his fists, so he uses the Riddler’s egotistical nature against him. He challenges the Riddler to solve a riddle while preparing a new batarang from his arsenal. “I see without seeing. To me, darkness is as clear as daylight. What am I?”

Riddler has the answer immediately: that he’s as blind as a bat. As Batman targets the Riddler’s machine, he lets out a cocky, “Exactly.” He then throws the batarang. It’s a good depiction of how Batman can use a villain’s strengths against them and outsmart them, proving that he doesn’t need to throw a single punch while defeating a villain at their own game.

2

“A Partner.”

Batman Accepts Robin As A Fellow Crimefighter

• Robin: “I can’t promise I won’t kill Harvey.”
• Batman: “A man’s got to his own way. A friend taught me that.”
• Robin: “Not just a friend.”
• Batman: “A partner.”

Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne feud throughout Batman Forever, with Dick trying to become a vigilante just like him, but Bruce keeps denying him that chance despite seeing so many parallels to when he lost his parents. That comes to fruition before the final battle when Dick Grayson emerges as Robin to give Batman the help he needs to fight the film’s two villains.

Batman does end up accepting Robin and more, since the young hero states that he can’t promise he won’t kill Two-Face, and Batman says that a man has to go his own way. A friend taught him that, but not just a friend. They shake hands and Batman calls Robin, “A partner.” Both characters ending their feud and becoming heroes makes for the ideal way for the film’s climax to start.

1

“You See, I’m Both Bruce Wayne And Batman. Not Because I Have To Be. Now, Because I Choose To Be.”

From A Vigilante Of Vengeance To A Superhero Of Justice

• The Riddler: “Why can’t I kill you? Too many questions. Too many questions…”
• Batman: “Poor Edward. I had to save them both. You see, I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be.”

When it comes to the various actors who have portrayed Batman, they all have unique ways of saying the iconic, “I’m Batman” line. Val Kilmer’s take comes in the form of a speech after he’s beaten both villains, and he comes to arrest Riddler, showing empathy for him as he explains why he cheated to save Robin and Chase Meridian.

“You see, I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be.” After struggling with his double life throughout the movie, Batman has found meaning in both sides of his persona, and now accepts that he is forever Batman on his terms, bringing the movie full circle to its title and giving Val Kilmer’s Batman an iconic line.