10 Actors Almost Cast As Batman (Who Would Have Sucked Way More Than Affleck)

2. Charlie Sheen

Back in 1989, well before the world went a little bit mental, and tiger blood and winning gained all new meanings, Charlie Sheen was one of the hottest rising stars in Hollywood. He had a string of successes in the shape of Platoon, Wall Street, Young Guns and Eight Men Out, and his high stock was well justified. That reputation was enough to push him close to Tim Burton's Batman, at least to the stage of talks being held, which is good enough to earn him a place high on this list.

Why It Would Have Sucked

Perhaps recent events have tainted the image of Sheen as an actor - he was very good in Wall Street, and indeed as the lead in Platoon, where he showed an emotional range fitting to Bruce Wayne, but in 1989, he was only 24 years old, a remarkably young age to be considered for Batman, especially when you consider what Michael Keaton's casting did for the role (especially in terms of Bruce Wayne.)

It's also key to consider the context of Sheen's successes before 1989 - in every one of the names films above he was backed by a very strong cast, and even in Platoon, though he was the main character, he wasn't particularly considerable as the recognisable "lead" in more traditional terms. And even beyond 1989 (aside from his excellent spoof work in both Hot Shots and Loaded Weapon) we'd never really see that dynamic - or at least not with any huge success: Sheen was always an excellent cog in the machine, standing out sometimes, but never leading the pack from the arrowhead at the front.

And those skills would have been hugely necessary in Batman, which would have been beyond the young rising star, as his subsequent career has perhaps proven.

Almost the pick of the bunch, considering how odd it all would have been, but that auspicious honour can only go to one almost cast actor...