At E3 we saw the rebirth of Tomb Raider in its radical new reboot. And as I'm sure many have heard on the grapevine, this reboot is happening on two fronts, both for the game series and movie series after Warner Bros. acquired the IP from Paramount a while back.

And like the upcoming game, the movie is supposedly also reaching back in time to the pivotal moment in Lara's life, before she was a world renowned explorer & archaeologist, to witness the gruelling trials that transformed the inexperienced young girl into the bold adventurer we know her to be.

Which then lead to one crucial question; which actress will portray this new younger vision of Lara Croft? One of the most controversial rumours to circulate the net less than 2 years ago, was that Megan Fox would assume the mantle from Angelina Jolie. As someone who's also been active on the Eidos forums for just under 3 years, I can tell you nothing sparked a crap storm quite like this. Most users there were in absolute outrage and were practically burning the rising starlet in effigy.

Now if I was apprehensive about that news, the next rumour turned my blood to ice. The very prospect of my favourite video game heroin being massacred by the atrocious performance of Kim Kardashian made me want to plunge a rusty spoon into my eyes. Thankfully both rumours were immediately debunked by press releases from both actresses.... whew

So who then should don the pony tail? From a considerable list of potentials out there, including Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, Gemma Arterton, and Olivia Wilde to name a few prospects touted by various media sites, where still nothing is official or confirmed, there's one in particular I believe is just ideally suited for the role.

And that's SUMMER GLAU! Best known for Firefly and Terminator: SCC, she meets much of the prerequisites the part calls for:

As far as looks and the hotness factor goes, Summer's already got that locked down. No problems here She's already got extensive training in marksmanship and sword play that might come in handy for Lara. And Summer is more than looks and physical ability, she's got solid acting talent. Some of what she displays in Serenity demonstrates that she can deliver a performance with the emotional resonance this particular part will demand. Namely in the earlier scenes when Lara is first awakened to her new reality, cut off from her support and left to fend for herself, to experience the terror of uncertainty. In the beginning Lara should start out weak and vulnerable, but over the course of the journey, see her develop and grow in strength and purpose. Basically I see Summer as an actress capable giving the contrasting performance of the before and after Lara.

As an added bonus Summer also has a background in dancing and gymnastics. While that may seem irrelevant I can see how that will translate into Lara's acrobatic skills, so that's another aspect to the physicality of Lara Croft. While it may not figure prominently in this chapter (still being young and before she could formerly train to have such skills), but looking long term across multiple movies, will be a valuable asset.

So from looks, to acting talent, to physical skill, Summer Glau is the all in one package to pull of the best Lara seen on screen. And of course a blog like this is incomplete without pics 8)