Val Kilmer's Last Instagram Video Will Leave You In Nostalgic Tears

Hollywood lost another great legend in 2025. Following the much-publicized deaths of actors Gene Hackman and Michelle Tratchenberg, veteran actor Val Kilmer died at 65 years old from pneumonia, after having battled throat cancer in 2014. He is survived by his two kids, Mercedes Kilmer and Jack Kilmer, who both grew up to be just as stunning as their dad. In a cruel twist of fate, Val's death was confirmed by The New York Times on April Fool's Day, aka the worst day to be online for fear of falling for a joke or fake news. Sadly, this announcement was real, and Val's family, friends, and fans are feeling his loss.

Though he never won an Oscar for his work on more than 100 projects, he didn't need it to be successful. Val was best known for his work on gems like "Top Gun," "The Doors," and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," with his last credited film being the 2022 sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," where he reprised his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. However, Val also entered the DC Cinematic Universe when he played Batman/Bruce Wayne in 1995's "Batman Forever" alongside Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones.

Fittingly, Val's final Instagram video (though not his last post on the platform) was of him putting on the iconic Batman mask one last time.

Val Kilmer took being "Batman Forever" quite literally, as he donned the Caped Crusader's mask for his Instagram audience. "It's been a while," he joked as he put the mask on over his head. It's a heart-warming video and one die-hard Batman fans will find bittersweet. Kilmer stared down the camera like the Dark Knight once stared down his enemies. The video then showed a painting of Batman — while the video did not mention if Kilmer created that piece, Kilmer did become quite the skilled artist in his later years.

While that Batman video was from February 23, Kilmer's final post on Instagram was shared about a month later. It was of a painting he did that was for sale. "It's got that late-night glow. Cool tones with a low burn, like when the campfire cools down but you're still wide awake," he captioned. He also linked out to his website, which had sold out of his artwork at the time of this writing but did feature some merch, including an exclusive Doc Holliday hat like the one he wore in the 1993 movie "Tombstone." While it's not the exact hat he wore in the film, the website notes, "The distinctive 'Doc Holliday' front curl cannot be duplicated and reflects the actual hat worn by Val Kilmer in the film 'Tombstone.'" Fans can buy it for nearly $900.

According to Box Office Mojo, "Batman Forever" was the seventh best-performing Batman movie of all time as of this writing, grossing $184 million domestically. The Numbers noted that the film earned a whopping $336 million worldwide, with a budget of $100 million. Needless to say, the movie was a financial success.

Val Kilmer's "Batman Forever" costar Debi Mazar, who played the villainous Spice in the film, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram honoring him. She recalled meeting him in 1984 — 11 years before "Batman Forever" would premiere — and noted they also worked on "The Doors," the 1991 Jim Morrison biopic. "He was so talented & interesting," she wrote." I know he struggled over the years with his health, and was a fighter."

Mazar wasn't the only coworker of Kilmer's who paid tribute. His former director for "B'Twixt Now and Sunrise," Francis Ford Coppola, wrote on Instagram, "He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him." Jennifer Tilly, who worked on "The Doors" with Kilmer (though her scenes were cut), recalled Kilmer's entrance to his audition. "We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance," Tilly wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King."