2. Benedict Cumberbatch
BBCMuch like the impatient, fast-talking character of Sherlock Holmes which propelled him to the top, Cumberbatchs ascension to the ranks of the hottest actors right now has been abrupt and to-the-point. Before Sherlock the actor joked that his odd-look meant that he seemed doomed to settle for big parts in small films and small parts in big films. Indeed, prior to playing the master-detective he had played such lofty characters as Vincent Van-Gogh, Stephen Hawking and William Pitt while settling for drastically smaller roles in Atonement and The Other Boleyn girl. His memorable performance in Sherlock praised by Steven Spielberg as the greatest on-screen Holmes ever was what made the film world take notice of the versatile actor. Though Holmes is seemingly a protagonist while the demented Riddler is quite firmly an antagonist, there is undeniably a big cross-over between the two neurotic characters. Much like the aforementioned Steve Buscemi, Cumberbatch lacks the physical threat that could possibly get in the way of his playing the traditionally feeble Edward Nygma.