3. Jeremy Irons
Thanks to his work on Die Hard With A Vengeance, and his grand-standing vocal perforance as Scar in Disney's The Lion King, Irons is a bona-fide veteran of classic villain roles, and his performance on The Borgias has reinvigorated his star after an uncharacteristically quiet period. Irons has a long history of association with appropriate properties, with fantasy and historical productions coming in top, and though some of that work - like Dungeons & Dragons and Eragon weren't exactly brilliant, Irons' performances can barely be faulted. His classical training, again, would be a plus, since it seems to inspire the greatest British villains, and it would fit with certain fan expectations, after Michael Jayston's performance as The Valeyard back in 1986. Jayston was another classically trained former player for the Royal Shakespeare Company (and both trained at the Old Vic,) and having another actor who could at least suggest some continuity between the two versions of The Valeyard would offer a useful cyclicality.