10. Christian Bale's Batman/Bruce Wayne
Normally, Batman would not make the cut on a list like this. The character has already been recast multiple times, having been played by four actors across seven films in the last 24 years. Christian Bale, as great as he was, is not a unanimous choice for the best live-action Batman. Despite all of those factors, Batman is still included on this list for two reasons that make the character's recasting a more unique challenge than ever before. First, while Bale is not a consensus pick for best Batman, the
Dark Knight trilogy he starred in was the most successful era of the franchise by far. Bale still gets a lot of credit for that. When the Batman franchise is inevitably rebooted, Warner Bros. will have to find a new lead actor who can either live up to or at least distinguish himself from that legacy. Second, conventional wisdom suggests the next live-action Batman will share the screen with Superman and maybe even the entire Justice League at some point. The new actor will have to hold his own with Henry Cavill, who looks to be an excellent Superman, while still coming across as grounded enough to respect the audience's appreciation for the fact that Batman is still a mere mortal under that cowl. The next Batman will not just be a lone hero. He will have to walk among gods and not look ridiculous in the process.