What's Next?: Best Supporting Actor

We had something of a weak start to this series last week, with a bunch of supporting actresses who weren't planning on doing anything radical or new in the next year. This week is certainly a step in the right direction, with five supporting actors who have rather large and immediate plans made. Take John Hawkes for example, who is currently nominated for his role in Winter's Bone, which premiered a year ago at Sundance. This year he has a similar Sundance darling in the form of Martha Marcy May Marlene, in which he plays the leader of the cult that Elizabeth Olsen's character is trying to escape from. I'd be very happy to see the man back here again next year.

Mark Ruffalo's next feature is certainly an ambitious one, and he has some literally huge shoes to fill. He's set to appear as Bruce Banner, otherwise known as the Hulk, in Joss Whedon's The Avengers, currently slotted to release in May of 2012. On a related note, Christian Bale also has a superhero role by the first name of Bruce to head into after he picks up his Oscar statuette later this month. The Dark Knight Rises is piecing itself together as we speak, with a few casting rumors still circulating. I doubt they're going to put Robin Williams in as Hugo Strange, because I feel we have all the villains we need for the film to work. However, if Joseph Gordon Levitt ends up playing a supporting protagonist, I'm totally in. Wally Pfister has also recently said that he's read the script for the film, and it could potentially top The Dark Knight. If that doesn't make you want to push time forward to July 2012, then I have no idea what does.

I'm sorry if it felt like I was going off course, but I just had to get that news out there. Getting back on topic, Geoffrey Rush can be said to have big plans this year, but depending on who you ask, he could also have made some decisions. This May, Rush reunites with Johnny Depp for the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides, this time circling around the fountain of youth. With each film, there is a certain chance of some shred of disappointment, and this is no different. Still, it may be good impure entertainment, but certainly no more. Capping things off with Jeremy Renner, he has two rather large box office enterprises to head into. For one thing he has a supporting role in The Avengers, so he may have a scene to shoot with Mark Ruffalo. On the more immediate horizon, he's working with Brad Bird on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which could be the best film in the franchise. I expect big things of Brad Bird, and he's never let us down before. Not to my recollection anyway.

Images (in order): Christian Bale in The Dark Knight; John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene