With the Toronto, Venice, New York and Telluride Film Festivals having already concluded, the Oscar race continues to be a question mark as there is no clear front runner. One of the races that will be among the most debated is the Best Actor race as it is always competitive in its scope.

With many performances still not seen, there is still a question of who will join recent winners Jean Dujardin, Daniel Day Lewis, Matthew McConaughey and Eddie Redmayne.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Revenant": DiCaprio is among the most acclaimed actors of his generation and it is still mind boggling how he has only been nominated four times in the acting category for his work in "The Aviator," "Blood Diamone," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," and "The Wolf of Wall Street." He has also never won an Oscar and for many pundits and critics it is about time he go on stage at the Dolby Theatre to receive an award. While his performance in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film has yet to be seen, pundits are already calling it DiCaprio's year. Based on the trailers, the performance looks incredible and DiCaprio is unrecognizable. However, it is too early for him to claim the gold statue.

2. Michael Fassbender - "Steve Jobs": For a number of years, Fassbedner's status as a leading actor has grown and he is now one of the most acclaimed and well respected actors of today. Shockingly, Fassbender has only been nominated once for his work on "12 Years a Slave" and was snubbed for an acclaimed turn in "Shame." This year the Irish-German actor has a chance to win the actor award especially after "Steve Jobs" scored rave reviews out of Telluride and New York and opened to a strong box office. The film already has the momentum and with Universal on a roll this year, the studio will make sure that Fassbender is among the five actors nominated.

3. Eddie Redmayne - "The Danish Girl": For a time most pundits expected that Redmayne would be taking home a second Oscar after his spellbinding work in "The Theory of Everything." That is because in his latest collaboration with Tom Hooper, the actor plays a transsexual, one of the biggest challenges of his career. After viewings at Venice and Toronto, there is no doubt that this showy role will lead him to a second nomination. However, reviews were somewhat mixed and it is very difficult to win two years in a row. The last time that happened was in the '90s when Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars for his work on "Philadelphia" and then for "Forrest Gump."

4. Michael Caine - "Youth": In a list of actors at their prime, the Academy always likes to make sure to nominate a veteran thespian. Last year Michael Keaton fulfilled the requirement while two years ago Bruce Dern was the one chosen to play the part. Both of these nominations were considered comebacks and while Caine has been doing a lot of supporting work, "Youth" marks his return as a leading man. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, "Youth" scored rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival and also got Caine Oscar buzz. After winning two and being nominated six times, this will likely be the actor's seventh nod.

5. Christian Bale - "The Big Short": This one seems like the biggest long shot but the Academy always knows how to surprise. After all last year Bradley Cooper scored a nomination for "American Sniper," Bale beat out Oscar Isaac and Tom Hanks for his work on "American Hustle" and Joaquin Phoenix edged John Hawkes for his work on "The Master." "The Big Short" is a late entry into the race but based on trailers and the fact that it will premiere at AFI, one could infer that Paramount is confident in its upcoming film. The film also stars Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Steve Carell, but Bale seems to be the protagonist and the actor has already won his first Academy Award for "The Fighter."

Other actors who could be in contention are Matt Damon for "The Martian," Johnny Depp for "Black Mass" and Tom Hanks for "Bridge of Spies." Tom Courtenay could be in the conversation but it will all depend on how much promotion IFC gives "45 Years" while Geza Rohrig could surprise if Sony Pictures Classics manages to take "Son of Saul" to the Best Picture level. Finally, Bryan Cranston could score a nomination for "Trumbo" if Bleecker Street is able to pull off a great Oscar campaign.

Related