3. James McAvoy As Sir Francis Drake
With the success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, it's clear that audiences have a penchant for a swashbuckling adventure. A film detailing Sir Francis Drake's circum-navigation of the globe would appeal similarly - with the added factor that it's all true. Drake made a brief appearance in Cate Blanchett's 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age', but was very much a back-seat character in the back-seat plot of the film (the Spanish Armada). A Drake-central film could look at his relationship with the Spanish (who considered him a notorious pirate by the name of El Draque), the trial and execution of mutineer Thomas Doughty, and the dangers of being at sea as an explorer as an Elizabethan. Cast-wise, Tom Hiddleston as the mutinous Doughty and Oscar Isaac playing the Spaniard, King Phillip II, seems apt. For Drake? Well, McAvoy's the kind of actor you could sit and watch for over two hours with little setting (a boat in the ocean) and an intriguing character to explore. His wide range of acting capabilities (X-Men to Filth) would come in handy as his personality and actions paint him in two lights; national hero and infamous pirate. It would be important to see, however, in and among the on-board politics and double-crossing, visually thrilling action sequences that involve adverse weather conditions and battling giant Krakens (okay, maybe not that). As such, a director experienced in the art of big-budget action as well as character-driven plots is a must. Peter Jackson, anyone?