Tom Hardy's new movie, Netflix revealed the first images for Tom Hardy's Havoc while simultaneously confirming that this movie will arrive in 2025. Havoc stars Hardy, Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker, and more, with Netflix also releasing an extensive cast list.

Havoc is an action movie that follows a detective (Hardy) who, "after a drug deal gone wrong, must fight [...] through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son" (via IMDb). However, the further Hardy's character descends into this underworld, the more corruption he finds. Havoc will feature Hardy's character in the role of an epic action hero, something Netflix has long coveted. Havoc might just be the action movie Netflix has been looking for, and if all goes well, it could become one of Netflix's best movies overall.

Netflix Has Long Been Chasing Action Movies Like The Raid

Netflix Has Wanted A Successful Action Movie That Features A Hero Battling Criminals

Netflix has had some successful action movies, such as the Extraction franchise, with the latest film in development being Extraction 3. However, Extraction is based on a graphic novel by Ande Parks et al., and the protagonist is a mercenary. Netflix seemingly wants to create an original successful action film similar to Gareth Evans' The Raid, a movie that depicts law enforcement officers as heroic protagonists who must fight criminals to survive. Producing movies that aim to be like The Raid, Netflix has also ended up with titles comparable to John Wick, such as Extraction, The Night Comes for Us, and Kate.

The Night Comes for Us is Netlix's previous action movie closest to The Raid, featuring some of the same actors, including Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais. However, The Night Comes for Us exhibits a much blurrier line between hero and villain. Additionally, while The Night Comes For Us released to mostly positive reviews, — even better than those of Gareth Evans' new gothic horror movie, Apostle, from the same year — it did not lead to a sequel. It seemed that Netflix was never going to have an original successful action franchise featuring law enforcers as protagonists, but Havoc could change this.

Havoc Can Be The Closest Thing Netflix Has To The Raid

Havoc Features A Similar Premise With The Same Writer & Director As The Raid

Notably, Gareth Evans is also the director of Havoc, after setting the standard with The Raid and competing with The Night Comes for Us. Havoc already bears striking similarities to The Raid, including a law enforcement officer as the main character battling criminals to escape dangerous circumstances. Both The Raid and Havoc also feature plots involving the drug trade. The Raid depicts a police squad breaking into a drug lord's apartment complex, while Havoc follows Hardy's character, Walker, rescuing a politician's son after a deal goes wrong. It seems that Evans being at the helm of Havoc will help the film become what Netflix wants it to be.

Evans mentions that Havoc is "a love letter to the heroic bloodshed genre," a phrase that could also describe The Raid.

Recently, Evans and one of Havoc's stars spoke at the Next on Netflix event in the United Kingdom (via What's on Netflix). Evans mentions that Havoc is "a love letter to the heroic bloodshed genre," a phrase that could also describe The Raid, given the film's characterization of its protagonists and bloodshed. Havoc also features Shadow and Bone's Jessie Mei Li, who portrays Walker's rookie partner, Ellie. At Next on Netflix, Li teased how Havoc will focus on Walker and Ellie's dynamic, another feature that The Raid also covers.

Havoc's Netflix Release Should Be Great For Tom Hardy

Havoc Will Be An Impressive Movie To Add To Tom Hardy's Filmography

Havoc is also potentially a great addition to Tom Hardy's filmography. Hardy made his acting debut in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down and has gone on to star in a variety of movies. One of Hardy's biggest roles is Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road, as well as his characters in Inception and The Revenant. However, in recent years, Hardy's career has primarily been portraying the titular character in the Venom movies, and critics poorly received all three films. Havoc is a great opportunity for Hardy to return to his action roots with a better-received feature.

Furthermore, Hardy has primarily portrayed villains and antiheroes. The closest Hardy has come to playing a classic action hero is Mad Max, but even he is morally gray. Havoc's Walker may also be so, but will possibly go through different character development than Hardy's previous roles. Evans notes that Hardy's performance brings "an immense amount of forensic detail," suggesting that Walker will stand out from the actor's past projects. Although Hardy already has an impressive filmography, Havoc could bring him additional success, especially if it ends up becoming a franchise.

Source: IMDb, What's on Netflix