Sexiest Man Alive 2012

Sexiest Man Alive: Who Could Be Next?

Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt – who could inherit the crown from these past PEOPLE cover stars?

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SMA '08: HUGH
UPDATE! SMA '10: RYAN

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds inspired superhero worship with their ab-tastic performances in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the costars have more than buff bodies in common – they both share Sexiest Man Alive bragging rights. Reynolds, crowned 2010's Sexiest Man, says the hardest part of carrying the mantle will be "organically working this title into a conversation with random strangers."