Bruce Willis has hung up his guns. Sly Stallone has gone too many rounds. Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t be back as the Terminator, and Harrison Ford, who turned 60 in July, has only so much diving, leaping, punching and shooting left in him.

Even Russell Crowe, whose body was battered and bloodied while making “Gladiator,” has hinted that he’s had his fill of tiger fights and sword battles.

Which leaves the door open for the next action hero. Who will it be?

Would you believe a former bouncer from the West Village?

Vin Diesel, who brings a Gen-X sense of rebellion to “XXX,” is as likely a candidate as any.

Diesel may get criticized for an unpolished performance in the new big-budget action flick, but he exudes the calm confidence required of any butt-kicking he-man.

And his cigarette-fueled rasp and mischievous screen presence don’t hurt.

Diesel has already joined the $20 million club, having reportedly signed on for that sum to do a “XXX” sequel, which means Friday’s movie has all the marks of a Hollywood franchise.

In all likelihood, we’ll be seeing his high-flying stunts as government agent Xander Cage for years to come.

Besides, what’s the competition?

Ben Affleck, who underwhelmed critics in this summer’s “The Sum of All Fears,” doesn’t seem to have the charisma or sheer on-screen forcefulness to carry the mantle.

Will Smith, who got an Oscar nomination for last year’s “Ali,” has a new hit with “Men in Black II,” but he’s indicated he wants to take on more serious roles.

Among those whose talents are greater than the action genre demads are Denzel Washington, who won the Oscar this year for his gun-happy corrupt cop in “Training Day,” and Tom Cruise, who’s currently in theaters as a detective from the future in “Minority Report.”

There’s always Toby Maguire, whose “Spider-Man” has been the top-performing action film of the summer and will spin at least two sequels. Still, Maguire, who is quiet and withdrawn on film, is a subdued breed of action hero.

Diesel’s strongest competitor is probably The Rock, the ex-wrestler whose breakout film, “The Scorpion King,” did nearly $100 million at the box office this summer.

The two are quite similar in style and appearance: dark, muscle-bound and athletic. They each wear their hair short or shorn and both have big-screen personas that audiences seem to love.

It’s not surprising, then, that they hang out together. A photographer caught the duo at an NBA playoff game this summer in L.A.

So how long before they duke it out on screen?