3. Viggo Mortensen - The Punisher
The problem with The Punisher is that there have now been three separate attempts to bring the character to the big screen, and each has been a disaster, despite the strength of the source, and the enduring appeal of the character. He is the archetypal dark angel of vengeance, pushed to abandon all sense of traditional morality to take down the mob and other criminals that he broadly deemed responsible for the death of his family, and his personal arc is arguably as intriguing and as adaption-worthy as Batman's - there are even genetic similarities in their make-up. But each of those three performances have gone for brawn without the right emotional balance to the character: there was little beyond the surface of the character and his vast armoury, and recasting The Punisher (even for a relatively brief supporting role in a new Daredevil film) would require more depth. Mortensen has proven in performances like Eastern Promises, A History Of Violence and even as Aragorn that he wears the scars of his characters' unseen pasts well, and that he can capture both measured poise with explosive aggression, which is precisely the portrayal that The Punisher needs. We need to see the character as the antithesis of what Daredevil represents; a vigilante without restraint who re-enacts the murders of his family in ever grisly act of violence he commits, and the idea of Mortensen in that role is irresistible.
Who It Definitely Shouldn't Be: Ray Stevenson, Thomas Jane or Dolph Lundgren. For obvious reasons.