11. Bruce Wayne
Though he has been portrayed by a multitude of actors, the two defining versions of Bruce Wayne remain Michael Keaton's turn in Tim Burton's films and Christian Bale's portrayal of the character in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Wayne has one of the most tortured pasts of any superhero character. In both Burton's and Nolan's films, Wayne is a reclusive figure who has never quite gotten over the death of his parents and in The Dark Knight trilogy he embarks on seven year quest where he explores the criminal underworld, seeking to understand the criminal mind. Despite the success of both Batman series, Wayne has never quite been portrayed on the screen properly. He is frequently out-shone by the opposing villain (Nicholson in Batman, Ledger in The Dark Knight, and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises) and is always a bit of a downer. His natural crime-fighting abilities, commitment to Gotham and its residents, and his fascinating motivations however, keep him on the list of best movie superhero characters.