Robert Pattinson, Taylor Kitsch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Who Should Play the Next Crow?

Before Heath Ledger, there was Brandon Lee: a young actor bursting with charisma whose life was cut tragically short. In The Crow, a gothic-noir superhero flick--where Lee was accidentally shot to death on set--he embodies this oddly hip angel of death with a natural athleticism and tormented wit. He rendered the role so iconic that his successors--Vincent Perez, Eric Mabius, Edward Furlong--floundered in the ho-hum sequels. Since the original has launched the career of director Alex Proyas (I, Robot) and developed a healthy cult following, it was only a matter of time before remake-mad Hollywood resurrected this story of resurrection. io9 recently spoke to producer Ryan Kavanaugh who confirmed that casting has indeed begun on the long-rumored Crow project, but that it isn't a remake, but a "relaunch." He also said that a search for the lead has begun, and that "it will be an actor you've heard of, yes. We're not ruling anything out. We're looking at both, with the very well known and the 'very talented but they may not be quite there yet.'" In that spirit, here are five actors--from serious contenders to publicity experiments--who Kavanaugh should consider. And since the casting directors are for sure defacing their candidates' head shots with that iconic makeup, we saved them the trouble and did it ourselves.

Taylor Kitsch: How can you argue with this choice? If you watch Friday Night Lights, you can’t. As Tim Riggins on FNL, Kitsch has perfected the brooding jokester, the antithetical quality that made Lee’s performance so magnetic. He already proved he’s got action chops as Gambit in last summer’s Wolverine, and if John Carter of Mars --the epic sci-fi blockbuster in which Kitsch plays the title role--is the hit people expect it to be, he’ll be a household name by the time The Crow hits theaters, making Kitsch our top choice. 

Joseph Gordon Levitt: Probably the best pure actor of the bunch. After a string of noteworthy performances in indie films (Brick, 500 Days of Summer), his heroic hosting duties on SNL this past weekend announced he’s ready for movie stardom. If done right, The Crow would be the ideal vehicle to launch Gordon-Levitt into the mainstream while maintaining his well-earned credibility. And it would give him an excuse to grow that long hair he wears so well.

Robert Pattinson: Pattinson already knows how to play undead and looks good in white face paint, and his casting, while pissing off fanboys, would ensure boffo box-office returns. Outside of the Twilight zone, Pattinson has stuck to sensitive weepies, so The Crow would be Pattinson’s best effort at winning over the dudes. Plus tips on how to buff up are just a text to Taylor Lautner away.