11 Best Recast Movie Roles Of All Time

11. Christian Bale As Batman

Following Joel Schumacher's 1997 disasterpiece, Batman & Robin, the caped crusader was in serious need of an overhaul. Over the course of less than a decade, Batman had been featured in four different films and played by three different actors.

And while Val Kilmer and George Clooney may have given it their best respective shots, neither one of them came close to doing the character justice like Michael Keaton did. So when WB and DC opted to reboot their most lucrative character in a new film franchise, they needed someone who could anchor it as a more definitive portrayal.

And in Christian Bale, that's exactly what they got. Bale delivered a Batman/Bruce Wayne for a new generation that could stand proudly alongside other classic portrayals such as Keaton's and Kevin Conroy's. Most importantly, he nailed the dichotomy of the role. His Batman was intense and more physically agile than prior incarnations, while his Bruce Wayne was rooted in the emotion and tragedy that has always been so core to the character.