What kind of Bond would Tom Hardy be?

With the probability that Daniel Craig will hand in the keys to his Aston Martin when his Bond contract is up, rumours have resurfaced that Tom Hardy is the hot favourite to take over as 007.

[Tom Hardy to play 007?]

But, should he be offered and accept the part, Hardy's going to have big shoes to fill. Not only has Craig's portrayal of England's famous spy reinvigorated the franchise, he has won huge approval, putting him just below 'King of the Bonds' Sean Connery when it comes to fan favourite.

The good news is that Hardy's a talented and versatile actor, but considering the variety of roles he's played in the past, we're curious to know which direction he would go in should he become the eighth James Bond (no, pedants, we're not including David Niven, Barry Nelson or Bob blooming Holness).

Hairy Bond

2014 will see Hardy take on another cinematic icon in the remake of Mel Gibson's 80s post-apocalyptic classic, Mad Max. While we don't know much about Fury Road yet, the film will be a continuation of the original series, so it stands to reason that Hardy's Max Rockatansky will be just as laconic, haunted and unpredictable as his predecessor.

All of these qualities are very Bond-like, and well within Hardy's range but we doubt the unkempt facial hair would go down well at MI6 - M would not approve.

Scary Bond

Just as he'd done for Bronson back in 2008, Hardy transformed himself to portray Batman villain Bane in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, becoming a huge, hulking brute. But while he certainly cut a frightening figure, Hardy's performance was all about his physicality, and unfortunately any emotion there might have been was hidden by Bane's heavy-duty face mask.

What Hardy did in both roles, though, was to prove the lengths he'll go to for a character. While both Bane and Bronson might be a bit too big, at least we also know he's got intimidating down to a tee.

Ladies' Bond

Hardy has gone secret agent a couple of times in his career, but we're ignoring the pretty dreadful This Means War in favour of looking at his portrayal of Ricki Tarr in the far superior Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Hardy used this small, but integral, part to perfectly demonstrate his uncanny ability to pull the focus of a movie - no matter how many stars he's surrounded by. Charismatic and compelling in every scene, Hardy also reminded us of his womanising potential. There's more than a little Roger Moore in this one.

Beefy Bond

A lover and a fighter, Bond needs to be simultaneously charming and deadly. He's a cold, calculated killer more than capable of taking care of himself.

But if skinny Daniel Craig could manage to buff up before Casino Royale, you can bet your bottom dollar Hardy's got the wherewithal to put a few muscles on that frame. Just one look at his thick-necked Warrior character Tommy Conlon tells us that he can meet the physical standards required of 007.

Smooth Bond

If you want some idea of what Hardy might do with Bond, look to his character in Christopher Nolan's Inception.

A suave, smooth-talking rogue with a dry sense of humour and a touch of moral ambiguity? Yep, that'll do nicely. Hardy has said that Nolan himself was actually his inspiration for the character, saying the role was "nod to the linen-suited Havana brigade, a faded luvvie who still has a really good fist fight". If you ask us, though, Eames is Bond to a tee.

Geezer Bond

Back before he was a bona fide leading man, Tom Hardy was a supporting player in many a Brit-flick - most loveably, in Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla.

Being a mobster and all, Handsome Bob was a little rough around the edges. And though we're not sure how a broad Cockney twang would go down at MI6, might it be time for a somewhat less sophisticated Bond? One who prefers a straight-up whiskey to a martini, perhaps…