The late Val Kilmer is now immortalized as Batman on the moon. Seriously, there’s a portrait of him as Batman, and that artwork is sitting on the actual moon right now.
Space Blue — a global art, media and production house — confirmed earlier this month that Kilmer was one of several celebrities whose artifacts made it to the moon. Let’s back up, shall we?
Director Dallas Santana, Space Blue founder, launched a time capsule into space in February 2024. Attached to the Lunar Lander Odysseus — the first private lunar landing — was the Lunaprise Museum, which had 222 art projects on board curated by Santana and Space Blue.
Remo Camatero, the art director of the late actor’s Kamp Kilmer, included an art piece Camatero created which depicted the actor Batman in the image. This piece of artwork will stay in the museum on the moon, which is set to last for over one billion years.
Val Kilmer Wore Batman Mask in Instagram Video Weeks Before His Death
Before his death, Kilmer — who moonlighted as an artist — would often share his artwork on Instagram. The actor frequently painted himself as Batman, a character he portrayed in the 1995 film Batman Forever. Kilmer founded the virtual platform Kamp Kilmer in 2020 as “a place of collaboration, creativity, and true connection between people through art,” according to the website.
News broke on April 1 that Kilmer had died from pneumonia at age 65.
“Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory,” Kilmer’s family shared in a statement days after the death news. “We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately.”
The actor is survived by daughter Mercedes Kilmer and son Jack Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley.
A death certificate obtained by TMZ on Thursday, April 10, confirmed that pneumonia was Kilmer’s immediate cause of death, but hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue were listed as underlying causes. Malnutrition and a tracheocutaneous fistula were also contributing factors.
Val Kilmer’s Best Movie Roles Through the Years
Kilmer battled throat cancer, getting diagnosed in 2015 and denying any illness publicly. He eventually confirmed his throat cancer battle in 2017, noting that he was in the clear. The actor eventually discussed the disease in his 2021 documentary, Val.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in my throat],” he said at the time. “You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat.”
He called it “an obstacle,” noting that he sounded “much worse” than he felt at the time.
“I have behaved bizarrely to some,” Kilmer continued. “I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed. I am blessed.”
