9. Paul Bettany
It wouldn't be the first time that this particular actor had been held in contention for the role of Batman's most resilient foe: before Heath Ledger was cast in 2006, rumors were circling that British actor Paul Bettany, then on the press circuit as bad guys in both The DaVinci Code and Harrison Ford-starrer Firewall, had made the shortlist of actors under consideration. With his gangly frame - he's 6'3" - and pale eyes, Bettany would fit the physicality of the character in, for instance, The Killing Joke - that sort of height definitely lends itself to looming from the shadows. We're used to him playing genial, earnest Englishmen in the likes of A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; even Silas, the self-flagellating albino monk/hitman from DaVinci had a deep vein of humanity to him. Nevertheless, he gave a tremendous performance, both chilling and electrifying, as a callow up-and-coming mobster in Paul McGuigan's Gangster No. 1. While we might not have bought him as the younger version of Malcolm McDowell's character - he is, after all, a good half a foot taller than the Clockwork Orange star* - but that takes nothing away from Bettany's presence in the film. Based on this alone, thirteen years ago though it was, Bettany's candidacy would seem clear cut. Zack Snyder's series is probably desperate to distance itself from Christopher Nolan's insanely popular trilogy, but given that Bettany was, according to studio insiders, never held in serious consideration for the role, there's no reason he couldn't play The Joker now. Admittedly, he has a minor allegiance to the Marvel camp - having voiced Tony Stark's AI butler in four films - but surely the "right man" for the job could never be brought down by such a petty rivalry, right? After all, Bettany has the name recognition, some prior experience in blockbusters, and, based on roles in occult thrillers Legion and Priest, he can hold his own in the action stakes. While it's unlikely that fisticuffs with The Dark Knight would consist of more than a few blows, it's good to know Bettany could pull it off if it came to, for instance, beating the second Robin, Jason Todd, to death with a crowbar. Though he's previously been long on intensity, short on maniacal laughter, Paul Bettany could have just the credibility Snyder's looking for to put his own stamp on the Crown Prince of Crime. *McDowell was also a key influence on Ledger's take on The Joker, credited with helping him perfect the character's dead-eyed stare.