Tom Hardy: One Stunt Oscar for Venom Not Enough

Following the announcement that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will finally introduce an Oscar for Stunt Design, actor Tom Hardy has expressed concerns about whether a single award category is sufficient to recognize the diverse contributions of the stunt industry.

Speaking to IGN ahead of the release of his new film, Havoc, Hardy shared his thoughts: “One Oscar, it's a bit too little too late in some aspects. It's good, it's great and cup half full territory, but I think perhaps more is asked for.”

“It's not enough just stunt design because there are so many elements that go into stunts as a department,” the Venom and Mad Max: Fury Road star elaborated. “The design element is like an umbrella for a diaspora of different groups within that world that all need to be illuminated, and understood, quite how hard they work, and, what the stunt department, along with effects, deliver for people that want to go to cinema or sit down and watch anything remotely with any action or anything beyond just the written word or the spoken word. Whether it's people on horseback, cars, people jumping off buildings, people being on fire, fights, people getting run over, underwater, skydiving, whatever it is.

“That entire universe of people is unsung, and they put a lot on the line for that physically, and they're largely unspoken, but they do really put the thrill into film and TV. I've got a lot of friends in that world, so yeah, I'd like to see some subcategories in there as well.”

Havoc's director, Gareth Evans, whose previous work on The Raid films showcased some of the most thrilling action and stunt sequences in cinema, agrees with Hardy's sentiments. “Subcategories would be nice,” Evans remarked. “I don't think awards drive the craft. I think that's the wrong reason to do it. I think it's all about expressing yourself within the parameters of what the film is that you're making. I think it's about time that it got rewarded, about time that it had some recognition, and hard to understand why it wasn't from the get-go really.”

It will take 100 years for the Oscars to introduce a category dedicated to the craft of stunt design, set to debut at the 2028 Academy Awards. However, you won't have to wait that long to see Havoc, which will be available on Netflix starting this Friday, April 25th, if you're eager to watch Tom Hardy in action.