The Mobland Drama Continues: Tom Hardy Not Axed, But On-Set Tension Is Very Real

5 Min Read
Tom Hardy
Credit: PopularImages/depositphotos.com

Highlights

  • Tom Hardy was not fired from Mobland, per Variety, despite widespread reports this week.
  • On-set tension included trailer holdups, script rewrites, and keeping Mirren and Brosnan waiting.
  • Guy Ritchie is reportedly pushing for Hardy’s return for a potential Season 3.

The internet was ready to write Tom Hardy‘s Mobland eulogy. Turns out, the pen came out a little too fast.

After a flurry of reports this week suggested the 48-year-old British actor had been fired from the hit Paramount+ crime drama following a string of behind-the-scenes blowups, a new report from Variety is pumping the brakes hard. Tom Hardy was not fired from Mobland, and discussions are currently underway to find a way for Hardy to come back as gangster Harry Da Souza for a potential third season.

A source close to production put it plainly to Variety: “Tom was not fired, the door is not closed for season three, and things are being worked through creatively.”

So what exactly set off the fire alarm in the first place?

Tom Hardy
February 8, 2012: Tom Hardy at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘This Means War’ held at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Credit: PopularImages/depositphotos.com

A Puck News story reported that Hardy was attempting to alter dialogue and provide script notes to executive producer Jez Butterworth and series creator Ronan Bennett. Meanwhile, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that Hardy “refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time” during season two filming. “He kept the cast waiting, [which is] a power play. Keeping Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren and others waiting is career suicide, I would wager.”

Yikes. When your co-stars are Dame Helen Mirren and the former James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan, that’s not exactly a vibe you want to create.

Sources also claimed Hardy had become frustrated that a show originally centered heavily around his character was evolving into more of an ensemble series featuring Mirren and Brosnan. Apparently nobody handed him the ensemble-TV memo.

Sources say that late script deliveries upset Hardy because he likes to prepare thoroughly before shooting. When Guy Ritchie was directing, there was never an issue because he could fix the script on the fly. But other directors lacked that authority and often felt intimidated when Hardy asked questions.

Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy at the Warner Brothers 2015 Presentation at Cinemacon at the Caesars Palace on April 21, 2015 in Las Vegas, NV. Credit: Jean Nelson/depositphotos.com

Which brings us to the man who may be saving the whole situation. According to Variety, executive producer Guy Ritchie is likely the one “pushing David Glasser to make it work.” As one source said, “Guy likes working with Tom.” Another source kept it refreshingly blunt: Hardy is “difficult, but he’s a movie star.”

If that’s not the most Hollywood sentence ever uttered, nothing is.

As for co-stars Mirren and Brosnan, neither of them appeared anti-Tom, sources revealed. One source noted that Mirren has said to Hardy “a couple of times, ‘Come on Tom, we’ve been here for ages, let’s get on with it,’ but she’s never appeared to be anti-Tom.”

Honestly, getting a mild nudge from Helen Mirren sounds less like a reprimand and more like an honor.

Tom Hardy on set
Photo by BauerGriffin/INSTARimages

This is, of course, far from the first time Hardy’s on-set temperament has made headlines. Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller previously told The Telegraph that Hardy “had to be coaxed out of his trailer,” adding, “Tom has a damage to him but also a brilliance that comes with it.”

The pattern is well established. The talent is undeniable. And apparently, for the people behind Mobland, the math still works.

Mobland debuted in 2025 and quickly became Paramount+’s second most-streamed original, just behind Taylor Sheridan‘s Landman. Season 2 has wrapped production but has not yet launched, while Season 3 was set to go into production this fall.

Whether Hardy’s Harry Da Souza actually makes it to that third season remains an open question. But for now, the door is cracked. And if Guy Ritchie has anything to say about it, Tom Hardy will walk through it, whenever he’s ready.


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