You need only look so far as this bravely archived article about Heath Ledger being cast over Paul Bettany to see how many people thought that Bettany was a better choice. He was widely believed at the time to be the front-runner to win the role, so when Ledger took the part, there was a lot of shock and disappointment among comic book fans. Would It Have Worked?: Certainly. Bettany may lack the awards plaudits of Ledger, but he's been a consistently creepy presence in a lot of not-so-great films: The Da Vinci Code, Legion and Priest all benefited hugely from his stature even if the films pretty much sucked. His unhinged potential would have made him a great Joker for sure, though at the same time, would it have denied him from also working as Jarvis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
