If Tom Hardy doesn't land the next big superhero role it's an opportunity missed; the actor turned into street vigilante this weekend when he chased down a moped thief and detained him until the police took over. An impressive feat that stunned onlookers.

Tom Hardy at 'Taboo' premiereTom Hardy at 'Taboo' premiere

The 'Taboo' star was out walking near his home in Richmond, London on Sunday (April 23rd 2017) when he spotted a pair of young men on a stolen moped attempting to make a run for it after crashing into a luxury Mercedes. They fled through some gardens and a building site, but that didn't stop athletic Tom from chasing them down. 

Witnesses claim he yelled, 'I caught the c***!' after seizing one of them and frisking him for weapons. He proceeded to lead him into a bus stop where he placed him under citizen's arrest until the arrival of police, and it was thought that he even demanded some ID from the young man. 

'It was mental - like he'd switched to superhero mode in an action movie', a 22-year-old eye witness told The Sun. 'He went off like a shot in pursuit and looked furious. If the kid had been dumb enough to resist I reckon Tom would have given him a good hiding.'

'The kid looked wrecked and in shock', he continued. 'Tom Hardy's clearly not a man you'd mess with.'

One passer-by also said that Tom revealed that the criminal was injured in the process of either his escape or his road accident. 'This little s*** nicked something and now he's got himself a broken leg', he is thought to have said. The other thief escaped the scene but it is thought that two suspects have now been arrested by police.

More: Tom Hardy returns to 'Peaky Blinders'

Tom Hardy may have played bad guys the likes of Charles Bronson, the Kray twins and Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises', but when it comes down to it, the only character he resembles at this point is Mad Max.