Tom Hardy plays Tommy in the film Warrior (Chuck Zlotnick/Alliance Films Media)

Jason Statham, watch your back: there's a new bullet-headed Brit about to steal your thunder.

Like Statham, Tom Hardy started out as a model. Those pretty boy features matched with a body built for dishing out punishment are part of what makes him such an arresting presence on-screen.

Next week, Hardy makes his latest big screen appearance in the MMA fight film Warrior as Tommy, a war vet with something to prove.

Tom Hardy arrives for the world premiere of the film Inception (Stefan Wermuth/Reuters)

After that, Hardy will soon be seen snarling at Christian Bale when the two face off in The Dark Knight Rises. Hardy's cast as Bane, the juggernaut of a villain -- powered by strength-boosting venom -- who famously breaks Batman. Considering how much Hardy bulked up for Warrior -- his neck bookended by a continental shelf of muscle -- he'll hardly need much enhancement.

Though Warrior might slake the thirst of ultimate fighting fans, those just waking up to Hardy's rough-hewn appeal should check out 2008's Bronson. Directed and written by Nicolas Winding Refn, the man behind TIFF buzz film Drive. Bronson tells the tale of the notorious British violent offender, artist and fitness enthusiast. Jailed for a simple stick-up, Charles Bronson spends decades in jail building a reputation for himself, while continually strutting in front of cameras wearing a carnival barker's smile.

From his portrayal of that braggadocios convict to his turn as Inception's suave fixer, Hardy has both the physique and the technique to become the next thinking man's action hero.

And with upcoming roles in both Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the forthcoming Mad Max film, this English actor is about to become a very familiar face.