12 Actors Who Should Play Wolverine Next

1. Tom Hardy

Seriously though, who better?

There's a pretty compelling argument that Tom Hardy could play any comic book character on screen and nail the role. He'd be an intriguing Batman, a psychopathic Joker, an eloquent, violent Riddler, a charming, twinkle-eyed Superman... He's a transformative actor, after all, whose performances are far more complex than the mumbling hulk he threatened to become around the time he played Bane.

Most interestingly for fans of Wolverine, Hardy has an intangible otherness - a manner like Michael Keaton's that suggests he's not quite of this world - which he combines with a Bondian refined accent and mischief in his eyes that would fit Wolverine's cult anti-hero status. And he'd also fit the size requirements: reclaiming Wolverine's bulk after Jackman slimmed down somewhat for his later roles.

Obviously he'd look silly in yellow spandex, but so would everyone else on this list, and the most compelling case for his employment as the new Wolverine comes down to his irresistible screen presence, his charisma and his likeability factor even when playing killers. Someone at Fox needs to get the ball rolling on this one immediately.

Who would you pick to replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? Share your picks below in the comments thread.