The director and star infamously clashed on the set. Some rumors even suggest physical altercations took place between the two. Schumacher was so dismayed by Kilmer that, after Warner Bros. released him from his Batman contract and George Clooney was recast as the Caped Crusader for Batman & Robin, the filmmaker told Premiere,
“Val is the most psychologically troubled human being I’ve ever worked with. The tools I used working with him — tools of communication, of patience and understanding — were the tools I use on my 5-year-old godson. Val is not just high-strung. I think he needs help.”
What a difference the years make. Schumacher now tells IFC,
"For me, Val Kilmer was the best Batman. I thought he looked great in the costume, and I thought he brought a depth to the role. I thought the relationship between Val and Nicole Kidman was very sexy. Jim Carrey, of course, was the perfect Riddler. And then I had the great Tommy Lee Jones and a lot of other great people are in that movie."