Tom Hardy has become one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, and there are a few movies that were vital milestones on his path to success. Hardy made his film debut in 2001, but it took a few years before he found mainstream success and truly established himself as a leading man.

Hardy’s best movies encompᴀss a wide range of different genres. He often shines in crime dramas like Legend and The Bikeriders, but he’s also proven himself as an action star with blockbuster hits like Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight Rises. Hardy is known for making unusual choices with his performances, which make him hard to forget.

10

Black Hawk Down (2001)

It’s easy to forget that Tom Hardy made his big-screen debut in Black Hawk Down, because Ridley Scott’s war drama is stuffed with big-name actors. The cast of Black Hawk Down features Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom and many more famous faces.

In the same year that he made a brief appearance in HBO’s critically-acclaimed World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, Hardy played a young machine gunner in Black Hawk Down. It’s only a small role, easily lost in the huge ensemble cast, but Hardy seems like a natural talent from the very start.

9

Layer Cake (2004)

After making his debut in Black Hawk Down, Hardy continued to pick up supporting roles. This period of his career produced several forgettable duds, but he also had a few fascinating performances. His villain role in Star Trek: Nemesis and supporting roles in Marie Antoinette and RocknRolla showed that he wasn’t afraid to make interesting choices.

Layer Cake is one of the hidden gems of Hardy’s career, but the stylish crime drama holds up wonderfully. Hardy plays one of many scheming gangsters vying for control of London’s criminal underworld. Layer Cake is also notable as Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut, and it’s often cited as the role that secured Daniel Craig the part of James Bond.

8

Bronson (2008)

Hardy made a splash with his first leading role in Bronson. Nicolas Winding Refn’s film tells the true story of the man dubbed “Britain’s most dangerous prisoner,” who has a long history of violence against guards and other inmates. Hardy is electric as Bronson, showing off his talent for dark comedy as well as his dramatic skills.

Bronson never tries to rationalize or explain away Bronson’s obscene bursts of violence. Instead, it leaves its audience with a lot of difficult questions about the nature of criminal justice, rehabilitation and society’s handling of complex mental health issues. The fact that Bronson manages to do all this while remaining entertaining and unpredictable throughout is credit to Hardy’s performance.

7

Inception (2010)

Hardy has appeared in three of Christopher Nolan’s movies so far, starting with the sci-fi thriller Inception. His role as Eames brought him a new level of success, with Inception grossing $839.4 million at the box office. It has since been recognized as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century.

Inception is arguably the quintessential Nolan movie, since it’s a perfect example of his ability to blend spectacular cinematic thrills with a unique, thought-provoking premise. It also displays many of Nolan’s most prominent filmmaking quirks, like his penchant for toying with time, his love of bold, imposing music and his ability to represent complex ideas in visually striking ways.

6

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight was a tough act to follow, and Hardy had a particularly difficult job of following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger’s Joker as Batman’s main antagonist. His characterization of Bane was completely unexpected, but his jovial voice in The Dark Knight Rises has since become iconic.

Hardy’s delivery ensures that he lays claim to many of the best quotes of the Dark Knight trilogy. He brings a calmness and poise that seems to run counter to the explosive action of the movie, but this proves to be a wise choice. It means that his version of Bane is the perfect representation of everything that Batman is not.

5

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

George Miller never intended to leave a 30-year gap between Mad Max movies, but Fury Road spent decades trapped in development hell. By the time Miller was ready to get production underway, he had to replace Mel Gibson, but Hardy proved that he was the perfect choice. His performance is one reason why Fury Road is so adored by fans.

Hardy delivers a compelling performance in Fury Road without ever having to overact. His restrained, stoic approach to the character reveals a little of his tortured backstory, although Fury Road is also a great introduction to the franchise for fans who might not be familiar with Gibson’s era.

4

Legend (2015)

Hardy’s dual role in Legend underlines his willingness to take on interesting projects that draw attention to his performance. Just like in Locke and Capone, Legend is the kind of film that places a lot of emphasis on Hardy, and he rises to the occasion with one – or perhaps two – of his most entertaining performances.

Hardy plays Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the real-life gangster twins who courted the media and became celebrities in London in the 1960s. He does a lot to distinguish between the two characters, cooking up an infectious comedic dynamic with himself without neglecting the film’s more dramatic elements.

3

The Revenant (2015)

Hardy rounded out the biggest year of his career so far with a role in The Revenant. After Mad Max: Fury Road and Legend, The Revenant was another shining example of his acting prowess and considerable range. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, eventually losing out to Mark Rylance for his role in Bridge of Spies.

The Revenant is famous for its difficult production, as well as being the movie that finally scored Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar win. Hardy’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked, though, since his chilling villain role is part of what makes the drama feel so viscerally powerful. With more performances like this, he’ll surely be competing at the Oscars again in the future.

2

Venom (2018)

Hardy had appeared in big movie franchise before Venom, but he had never made a sequel to one of his own films. Although Mad Max: Fury Road could have been the start of a whole new series, Hardy had to wait until Venom to get a franchise that he could truly call his own.

All three Venom movies have received mixed reviews, but much more positive responses from fans. Hardy’s charismatic performance as Eddie Brock, and his booming voice as Venom, is partly why audiences have kept coming back for more. He has also taken on a more involved role in the two sequels, serving as story co-writer and producer.

1

The Bikeriders (2023)

Since 2018, Hardy has only appeared in three movies that aren’t part of the Venom franchise: Capone, The Bikeriders, and Havoc. The Bikeriders is the pick of the bunch, and it could provide a glimpse into the future of Hardy’s career now that he’s left Eddie Brock behind him.

The Bikeriders is a return to familiar territory for Hardy in some ways, because he’s always excelled in the crime genre, but he plays a more mature and restricted character than many of his previous roles. It’s one of his most impressive performances, even if it isn’t his most eye-catching. Hopefully, Hardy will continue choosing interesting projects in the next few years.