Havoc: Is Medusa Club a Real Nightclub?

While Netflix’s ‘Havoc‘ may be filled with pulse-pounding action scenes throughout, one of its largest and most complex fight scenes takes place at the Medusa club, where Walker runs into triad members and corrupt colleagues on his quest to find Charlie. With multiple factions colliding in one spot, the nightclub leaves an indelible mark on the narrative, standing out as a battlefield where different people lay their agendas on the line. Its prominence goes beyond the story as it also serves as the backdrop to the first meeting between Walker, Charlie, and Mia, who have to team up together to fight off the hordes of enemies on their tail. Thus, the chaotic scene inside the Medusa sets a marker down for the rest of the movie while also distinguishing the club as a memorable spot.

Medusa Club is a Nightclub With No Ties to Reality

Although it plays an integral role in the story, the Medusa Club is a fictional setting created by writer, director, and co-producer Gareth Evans. In the movie’s world, the club is set in an unnamed city in the US. However, filming took place in Wales, specifically in the regions of Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend, and South Wales. The club’s interiors are likely staged in a studio environment, such as the Great Point Studios in Cardiff and Dragon Studios at Pencoed, Bridgend. Evans stated that a combination of sets, on-location shooting, and VFX was utilized to weave the film’s setting authentically. To that end, the same likely applies to Medusa Club, which is the central spot for a lot of nail-biting action in the movie.

One of the striking aspects of the Medusa is its resemblance to nightclubs in other movies. It shares many thematic and aesthetic elements with the Iceberg Lounge from Matt Reeve’s ‘The Batman.’ In both films, the clubs end up as a primary backdrop for an extended fight scene for the main character, fleshing out their prowess in a battle environment. However, the Medusa has its own charm and grungy feel, contributing to the over-the-top fighting that takes place inside. Intriguingly, Tom Hardy, who plays Walker, had a significant challenge while filming the action scenes inside the Medusa. Due to his heavy wardrobe and the summertime heat, the actor struggled to play out his scenes without overheating. As a result, he started cutting away most of his clothes after discussing the situation with Evans.

“In the end, I just had the shirt bolero with two buttons, and then the Patagonia fleece over the top of it, and then an ice pack at the back. And then we were good to go! But until that point, I was struggling,” Hardy explained. The multi-level nature of the club made it all the more difficult for the actors involved in the scene to capture the choreography. However, the blend between style, the club’s ambiance, and the frenetic movements of the characters leads to a riveting scene that revolves around unfiltered violence. It helped that the club’s geography was spread out, providing ample indoor space for the catalog of people fighting for their lives. Therefore, it is one of the most significant backdrops in the movie, even though it remains fictional in conception.