3. Michael Keaton (Batman, Batman Returns)
Poor Michael Keaton. Before "Batman" was released in 1989, few thought he could pull it off - he wasn't exactly at the top of everyone's list to play the titular character. He was known for comedies at that point, and stood at a not-very-intimidating 5 feet, 9 inches. This lead to fears of Batman being portrayed in a comedic light, more in line with the Adam West TV show from the 60's (more on that in a bit). But director Tim Burton took a chance. And did it work? Surprisingly, yes: Keaton could play dark and brooding very well, with that hint of personal inner pain that makes Batman such a multi-layered and iconic character. He exceeded expectations, and the movie became a massive hit, though that success could also be attributed to Jack Nicholson's Joker, Keaton's Batman was surely a step in the right direction for what fans of the character wanted. Keaton was a bit overshadowed in "Batman Returns" by Danny DeVito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, but he still delivered a solid performance, and his Batman voice is pretty awesome: I still get chills when I pop in "Batman" and hear "I'm not going to kill you, I want you to tell your friends about me."