He once wore the cape of a hero and stepped into the shoes of a rock icon. Now, after years away from the spotlight, the actor whose roles stirred generations has passed away.

Val Kilmer, the versatile actor known for his roles as Jim Morrison and Batman, has passed away. Val died Tuesday, April 1, in Los Angeles, at the age of 65.

According to his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, the cause of his death was pneumonia. She noted that Val had previously battled throat cancer, diagnosed in 2014, and had since recovered. Val was born on December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles. He grew up in the Chatsworth neighborhood, tucked into the city’s far northwest corner.

Val rose to stardom in the 1990s, becoming a leading man with a range that extended beyond blockbuster roles. Among his most iconic appearances was as the caped crusader in “Batman Forever” (1995).

In the film, he faces off against villains Two-Face, played by Tommy Lee Jones, and the Riddler, portrayed by Jim Carrey. While the film achieved commercial success, neither Val’s performance nor the movie itself were universally embraced as high points in the Batman legacy.

His off-screen life took a dramatic turn in the years that followed. In 2017, during a rare interview at his Brentwood art studio, Val sat beside his two children, Mercedes and Jack — both born during his marriage to British actress Joanne Whalley.

At the time, he was in the midst of a grueling fight with throat cancer. A tracheotomy had left his voice a harsh rasp, and his breathing labored. The struggle was made even more difficult by a personal crisis.

Around the time of his diagnosis, Mercedes was struck by a car in a serious accident. “We were in the same hospital at the same time,” she later recalled. Jack, watching both his sister and father endure medical recoveries, remembered the moment vividly. “I was just, you know, miserable, distraught, sitting next to these two.”

Despite the hardship, Val leaned on faith. As a Christian Scientist, he found spiritual grounding through his illness, though he also underwent chemotherapy in his battle against the disease. Through it all, his relationship with his children deepened.

By 2020, Val made a quiet but determined return to the screen. He starred in “Paydirt,” an indie action film in which he portrayed a sheriff — a role that mirrored his real-life condition. His character, like him, had a speech disability.

“It’s pretty historic to have a lead with a speech disability,” Mercedes, who co-starred in the film, told People at the time. She called the experience a revelation, both professionally and personally.

“My dad’s able to very artfully circumvent the limitations of his speech,” she said. Mercedes explained that watching how he communicated physically had taught her a great deal about acting and had expanded her understanding of what acting could be.

Val, never one to shy away from change, took the shift in stride. “The business changes every six months,” he joked. “The Batmobile has become much smarter since then.”

The project became more than a film, it became a symbol of resilience. “The health challenges have been just that, challenging,” Mercedes said, “but so many good things have come out of it.” Val echoed the sentiment. “They really have done everything to make my health as usual,” he said.

His final public moments reflected the artist he had always been. On March 23, Kilmer posted an image of his latest artwork, a glowing visual piece accompanied by the caption, “It’s got that late-night glow. Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake.”

Though his voice was altered, his creative spirit remained intact — right to the end.