9 Movie Heroes Who Lived Long Enough To Become The Villain

Liam Neeson spent a large portion of the '80s and '90s in roles as goodly or honourable men. Heck, he was even selected to play Obi-Wan's mentor in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance because he fit the criteria of "incredibly wise and honourable individual" so perfectly.

Nowadays, though, Neeson's on-screen persona has shifted somewhat; he has moved towards parts where his hero characters are a lot more morally questionable - and this is arguably a result of his being cast as the surprise baddie of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins back in 2005.

Neeson starts out playing a character named Henri Ducard and appears to be reprising his trademark role as an assured and informed character, but he's later revealed to be the all-out villain: Ra's al Ghul. Neeson doesn't exactly step out of his comfort zone to play al Ghul, who isn't the immortal Arab of the comics, but he makes the role entirely convincing and proves he is just as capable as delivering dialogue cues with an acid tongue as he is his trademark sincerity.

This is where the Neeson of Taken was first born; Batman Begins nudged this heroically-aligned actor out of the light and into shadier roles.