20 Essential Movie Performances That Will Define 2018

20. Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/Venom (Venom)

The Role: Eddie Brock, the poor sap who becomes host to the alien symbiote, which transforms him into in the monstrous super-villain known as Venom.

Why It'll Define 2018: Though there are countless reasons to be skeptical about a solo Venom movie, least of all that it's being produced by Sony, Tom Hardy is pretty much perfect casting for the part.

His intense physicality should at least erase all those unpleasant memories of Spider-Man 3's wildly miscast Topher Grace, even if it remains to be seen how the CGI elements will be integrated, and how involved Hardy will be once Brock transforms into Venom.

Even if the movie sucks, expect Hardy's performance to be mostly praised, though that American accent does admittedly sound a bit dodgy.