Who Will End the Year as the Biggest Movie Star of 2012?

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | June 28, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | June 28, 2012 |

I don’t remember where, but I saw a headline recently that proclaimed 2012 to be the Year of Channing Tatum. Every year seems to be the year of someone. 2011 was the year of Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine, Drive, The Ides of March, Crazy, Stupid, Love). 2008 was the year of Robert Downey. Jr. (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder). 2004 was the year of Jude Law (all the movies). Nicolas Cage and Sam Jackson probably traded positions on all the years in between.

You get the idea: A big year in terms of quality, quantity, and box office. Will 2012 be the year of Channing Tatum? In the end, I think not: It’ll be the year of Renner. But here are the 10 Candidates for “Year of” Honors, in the order in which they will likely end the year(ish) in terms of quality, quantity, and box office.

1. Jeremy Renner (December 21, 2011 - January 13, 2013) — Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

2. Charming Potato (January 20, 2012 - March 29, 2013) — Haywire, The Vow, 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike and G.I. Joe Retaliation.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio (November 11, 2011 - December 21, 2012) — J. Edgar, Django Unchained, The Great Gatsby

4. Charlize Theron (December 16, 2011 — June 1, 2012) — Young Adult, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman

5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (July 20, 2012 - December 21, 2012) — The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, Looper and Lincoln.

6. Tom Hardy (September 21, 2011 - August 29, 2012) — Warrior, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, This Means War, Heroes and Demons, The Dark Knight Rises, and Lawless.

7. Liam Neeson (January 27, 2012 - October 5, 2012) — The Grey, Wrath of the Titans, Battleship, The Dark Knight Rises and Taken 2.

8. Jennifer Lawrence (March 23, 2012 - November 21, 2012) — The Hunger Games, House at the End of the Street, Silver Linings Playbook.

9. Tom Cruise (December 21, 2011 - December 18, 2012) — Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, Rock of Ages and Jack Reacher.

10. Taylor Kitsch (March 9, 2012 - July 6, 2012) — John Carter, Battleship and Savages