2. Michael Shannon
Indulge me while I search outside the box for a moment. Shannon isnt an actor you might initially peg to play The Joker, but again, neither was Ledger up until the moment the movie came out. You must remember the rabid debate that took place in the lead up to The Dark Knights release; some were happy with the choice, others flat out refused to accept Ledger as the Joker. However as early as TDKs opening night, pretty much all criticism was silenced. I think Michael Shannon could do that again; for starters, hes a phenomenal performer and Ive yet to see him in a role in which he didnt excel (okay, Doc. Williams in Jonah Hex maybe, but that was hardly his fault). And now he takes the role of General Zod in the Man of Steel? This man has balls of steel to step into Terrence Stamps shoes. Hes definitely an outside choice Ill give you that, but with his totally unique square-jawed look, his authoritative, often unsettling voice and his tendency to gravitate towards crazed, unhinged characters I wouldnt necessarily argue with a new Batman director if they chose to cast him as The Joker. Am I the only one?