But lets not discount the fact that while these many men are sinking their teeth into gritty material, its also a chance for fans of the male physique to grab a bucket of popcorn, plop themselves down in the theatre and prepare to be blown away. While this Fall film-going season boasts some extraordinary looking projects, it also boasts a truly gorgeous line-up of leading men coming soon to a theatre near you.

How gorgeous? So gorgeous we had to come up with two lists of the ten hottest men hitting cinemas in the next few months. Which, we’re well aware, makes for twenty of the hottest men in theatres by the holidays, but don’t nit-pick over the specifics. Just know we have pics of all of them and have given you another reason to get up next Thursday.

So enough of my babbling. Bring on the men.

Leonardo DiCaprio – One third of the hottest cast in theatres this fall, Leonardo re-teams with his Aviator director Martin Scorsese for The Departed, a crime drama that pairs Jack Nicholson (brilliant, but not a hottie) with two other studs from our list. Then, if Leo packing heat isn’t enough for you, look for him again in December’s actioneer The Blood Diamond, which pairs him with Jennifer Connelly in a fight to take the DeBeers family down.

Mark Wahlberg – Fresh off his starring role as a football hunk in this summer’s Invincible, Wahlberg is the second of the three hotties starring in The Departed. And since directors seem to understand that the bulk of Wahlberg’s appeal is what’s located under his shirt, expect it to be removed at least a few times.

Matt Damon – Our third Departed hunk, word is Matt Damon is actually playing the villain in this, which after seeing his vicious turn in The Talented Mr. Ripley, I for one can’t wait for. Stay tuned for his December release The Good Shephard opposite the one woman who seems to pack the power to turn gay men and women on simultaneously—Angelina Jolie.

Ryan Phillippe – It’s been a long time since movie goers have had ample opportunity to gush over Ryan Phillippe in a film, but now that wifey Reese has bagged an Oscar and is content staying home with the kids, Ryan is back at work and starring in Clint Eastwood’s war epic Flags of Our Fathers. With Clint at the helm, the acting should be fine—the big question is, does Clint know that what us gays really want to see is Ryan with his pants down a la Cruel Intentions?

Josh Hartnett – Ever since filmgoers were treated to 45 minutes of watching Josh Hartnett walk around wearing nothing but a towel in the spring release Lucky Number Slevin, we’ve been chomping at the bit for his next big release. The Black Dahlia promises to be both sexy (look for an intimate scene with real life love Scarlett Johanssen) and scary as hell. Plus, Josh in period attire? Hot!

John Cena – Don’t expect any big awards for wrestler John Cena’s big screen debut in The Marine. But then again, it’s been a long time since we got to go to theatres to see a muscle man like John takes his clothes off and beat the crap out of people for two hours. In fact, how long has it been since Jean Claude Van Damme’s last big screen release?

Christian Bale – It doesn’t get much yummier than Christian Bale in his Batsuit. OK, maybe Christian Bale in American Psycho, but I digress. Fans of the actor will see the stud flex his chops in the truly fascinating The Prestige, which casts him as a magician with an evil streak opposite another equally yummy stud on our countdown. Not sure how I feel about two hours of Christian in a cape, but I’ll make due so long as that gorgeous chiseled jawbone is on display. Oh, and true fans, look for him again in December as a gang banger in Harsh Times.

Hugh Jackman – Woo hoo, the other hottie magician. Can you just imagine Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale going head to head? It’s almost too much. And the best part is, we get double doses of both of them this fall. Hugh will pop up again in the sci-fi fantasy epic The Fountain, which required him to shave off all of his body hair for one scene. One has to assume this means we’ll see him naked.

Brad Pitt – Yes, shockingly, in between all of the tabloid fodder you’ve been reading about Brangelina, Mr. hottie Pitt managed to sneak away to make a movie. It’s the very artistic Babel which casts him as a tourist stuck in Morocco with his wife, Cate Blanchett. We’ll assume she’ll wipe the floor with him when it comes to the acting, but we’ll certainly have our eyes fixated on Mr. Pitt for as long as we can stand it.

Eric Bana – OK. Just to give you some prospective on just how hot Eric Bana is, this man managed to make me forget about Brad Pitt in Troy with his super buff pecs and gorgeous eyes. Chances are Lucky You, which takes place in a casino, won’t give him as much leeway to wear a lion cloth, but I’m still hoping a drunken night at the craps table winds up naked in some pool.

There you have it folks, this week’s top ten. Check back next Thursday for the rest of this summer’s top ten hotties, including a former Fresh Prince and the king of Brokeback Mountain himself.

© This Week In Texas