Tom Hardy was not fired from “Mobland,” Variety has confirmed.
Rumors have been swirling since last week that Hardy might not return for Season 3, but sources confirmed that discussions were underway to find a way for Hardy (who plays mobster Harry Da Souza on the Paramount+ drama) to return.
“Tom was not fired, the door to season 3 is not closed, and things are moving forward creatively,” a production source told Variety.
The show, which stars Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren as the leaders of a British crime family, was co-created by Ronan Bennett and Jez Butterworth and produced by David Glasser’s 101 Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios. Guy Ritchie was an executive producer and directed many episodes across both seasons.
Season 1 of “MobLand” ended in 2025 and quickly became one of the most-watched shows on Paramount+. Season 2 has concluded but has not yet begun, and production on Season 3, with Hardy reprising his role as Da Souza, was scheduled to begin this fall.
“Guy is probably pushing David Glasser to make this happen,” a source close to the production told Variety. “He likes working with Tom.”
Hardy had a falling out with Butterworth, and Glasser, who first appeared on Puck, is reported to not be returning for season 3. Variety understands that the tension was real, but that Hardy has not been officially fired and that the trio are currently working out their creative differences.
Sources confirmed to Variety that the cause of the uproar was a combination of factors, including Hardy being late on set and requesting a partial rewrite of the script. However, insiders point out that both parties are clearly at fault. “He’s a difficult guy, but he’s a movie star,” said another production official. Some say the tensions could have been resolved sooner and amicably, but that leaks from production “sources” claiming Hardy was fired have further inflamed the situation and dragged out the drama.
Sources say Hardy was dissatisfied with Butterworth’s slow handing over of scripts, sometimes just a week before shooting, which clashed with the star’s ability to rehearse (“Tom likes to prepare,” a second source said).
Butterworth was also not on set and was unable to address script issues as they arose. “The only person[Butterworth]really speaks to is David Glasser,” a production source said. “Very few members of the cast or crew have anything to do with Jez. We never meet him.” (Another production source disputed this, saying Hardy attends weekly Zoom meetings with Butterworth and Glasser.)
However, Butterworth’s absence from the set proved difficult, as Hardy occasionally requested changes to the script. “A lot of his ideas are very sound,” a source said of Hardy. “And he wants those notes to be taken seriously. It creates a problem because Jez doesn’t seem to have time to deal with those notes.”
In addition to “MobLand,” Butterworth is also working on Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopic, as well as another Paramount+ show, “The Agency.” (According to Variety, Butterworth was not even on the set of Season 2 of The Agency, which was filming last year.)
“I think Jez is basically being spread too thin. He’s taking on too much work,” a second source said. A representative for Butterworth did not respond to multiple emails from Variety.
In Ritchie-directed episodes, Butterworth’s absence was less of an issue, as Ritchie had the authority and experience to modify the script on the fly. “That being said, he doesn’t do it that often,” the second source added. “Jez’s work is truly amazing.”
Butterworth’s absence was made even more difficult by the fact that Ritchie passed the baton on as a rotation manager, up from three managers in season one. At that point, even if Hardy had a problem with the script, “the director can’t suddenly change direction and say, ‘Okay, let’s rewrite the scene,’ because they don’t have the authority to do that,” the source explained.
They didn’t have much power over Hardy either. “He’s used to working with the best directors in the world,” a source said of the actor. “So when all of a sudden a TV director job comes along, he has a hard time, but to some extent he’s able to walk over them because they’re intimidated by him.”
Richie is less intimidating towards Hardy and as a result, “he treats Guy better,” the source said. The two have a long-standing relationship dating back to Ritchie’s 2008 film Rock’n Rolla, in which Hardy starred. Hardy trusts Richie to shoot and edit well, and if Richie tells him to “stop messing around,” Hardy will take it “in good conscience,” the source said.
Their relationship contrasts with that of Hardy and Glasser. “I think (Hardy) is probably personally conflicted with the power dynamics of a David Glasser-type Hollywood producer,” the source said. “David is a tough guy. He’s a very fair guy, but he’s a tough guy.”
A third person familiar with Hardy’s actions in Season 1 said Glasser was so demanding that he virtually lost patience with Hardy’s requests for rewrites and late arrivals, causing Brosnan and Mirren to wait “years” for Hardy to arrive on set. “David is not prepared to hold any actor to ransom, even the lead actor. He has a track record of dealing with this kind of thing,” a second source said.
Although Hardy’s tardiness was “frustrating” for Mirren and Brosnan, a second source said, “any actor gets annoyed when they have to wait several hours,” but there was no particular friction between Mirren and Hardy.
“I know she told him a few times, ‘Come on, Tom, we’ve been here for years, so let’s just keep going,’ but it never seemed like she was anti-Tom,” the source said.
They dismissed any suggestion that the actors had a falling out over politics. “I’ve never heard anything political,” the source said, sounding surprised by the suggestion. “I think that’s probably completely unhelpful and not true.”A first source close to the show also categorically denied the rumors, calling them unfounded and untrue about Mirren’s nature.
“Helen is not that kind of person,” a second source agreed. “If she had had a problem with Tom, she would have said to his face, ‘Look, let’s stop wasting other people’s time and move on.'” But perhaps that was the limit. She’s not the kind of person who gets involved in the whole political situation. She isn’t. She certainly wouldn’t be the kind of person to stomp her foot and say, “I’m not coming back if he is.” It’s just not her. ”
(A representative for Mirren did not respond to multiple emails, but after this story was published, Mirren posted a photo of Hardy on her Instagram page, adding, “I still love you Helen.”)
A second source acknowledged that Hardy has a long-standing reputation for being difficult (Charlize Theron famously fell out with him on the set of Mad Max, and Star Trek: Nemesis co-star Patrick Stewart called him “weird” and “a loner”), but said they felt Hardy’s actions were unintentional. “I think Tom can get a little lost in his own little world sometimes,” the source said. “I don’t think he’s doing it maliciously. I don’t know if he particularly means it.”
Actors especially need time in the morning to “find their approach” to a scene or role. “He doesn’t always go along with other people’s (approaches), but he has a good heart.”
However, a source admitted, “He is well known for being difficult to work with.”
So what does this mean for the future of “MobLand”? At the moment, it is believed that Hardy is still needed to complete reshoots for season 2, and his return would be ideal. In the longer term, producers were confident that the show could continue without Hardy if a compromise could not be found. “I think we’ll probably lose quite a few viewers, but I think it’s very easy to continue.” Brosnan, Mirren and Paddy Considine are “great actors” who still draw audiences, the source said, adding that Hardy’s salary could be spent on some star guest actors. “I can think of 10 ways they could write him out, but it’s not very elegant,” the source said. “It’s like getting rid of Costner[in ‘Yellowstone’].”
However, it is highly unlikely that Hardy’s role will be recast. “If Guy has anything to say about this, he’ll probably want to gloss over everything because he knows how integral Tom is to the success of this film,” the source said.
Ultimately, the question will be whether Hardy, Glasser, and Butterworth can mend things, especially since Hardy was already reluctant to return for season 3 due to his conflict with Butterworth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this was so hot that someone heard something. David threw a toy out of the stroller and Tom threw a toy out of the stroller,” the source said. “They’ve always had a very volatile relationship.”
But Harry da Souza shouldn’t be written off just yet, as both Ritchie and Paramount+ (who are primarily monitoring the situation, but will be on the sidelines as the situation improves on its own) support the truce.
Joe Otterson contributed to this article.
