[_____V_____]

Charlie Hunnam, who plays the lead Jax Teller on FX's "Sons of Anarchy," spends most of his time riding on motorcycles, punching dudes in the face and blowing crap up.

But if you thought the extent of his badassery ended there...well, wait until you see him fight giant monsters.

Hunnam is in talks for the starring role in Guillermo del Toro's ("Hellboy," "Pan's Labyrinth") latest, big-budget creature feature "Pacific Rim."

According to Deadline, the movie would see Hunnam battling monsters -- who are wiping out the planet city by city and must be stopped! -- using advanced weaponry that only a dashing young gentlemen with flowing blonde locks can operate. Maybe not that last part, but it seems logical, especially now that Hunnam is one step away from locking the role.

Del Toro, an in-demand director with an eye for the fantastical, has had a tricky time mounting a project since his last film, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," hit theaters in 2008. He was once slated to direct Peter Jackson's two "Hobbit" features, but then the possibility of production collapsing under financial strain was too much. He bailed.

Then he had his pet project "At the Mountains of Madness" setup with Tom Cruise starring and James Cameron producing. Perfect trio? Guess not -- Universal put the kibosh on the pricey blockbuster.

But now there's "Pacific Rim," one of production company Legendary Pictures (the people behind "The Dark Knight") many "in development," monster movies, including a Godzilla remake and a sea monster movie with director Paul Greengrass entitled "Here There Be Monsters." Are over-sized, destructive beasts the new vampires?

Hunnam seems like a great fit for the epic battle film and who better to breakout an actor of his caliber than the imaginative Guillermo del Toro. Now that he's basically been secured, "Pacific Rim" should be rolling cameras for a 2012/2013 release in the near future.

Pending any monster attacks, of course.