As “Furiosa: a Mad Max saga” hits French screens, the question of the presence (or not) of the mythical road warrior in the feature film arises. We have the answer!
Warning, spoilers – If you continue reading this page, you may become aware of important elements of Furiosa’s plot. Fasten your seatbelts !
Unsurprisingly, Furiosa (now played by Anya Taylor-Joy) does not die at the end of George Miller’s feature film. The latter “loops” in fact with Fury Road in a very beautiful way in its last seconds, making the two films a fast and furious dytique, which follows itself as a single and unique explosive spectacle, as could have been by the past Matrix Reloaded / Matrix Revolutions, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 / Pirates of the Caribbean 3 or Casino Royale / Quantum of Solace.
Warner Bros. Anya Taylor-Joy in “Furiosa”
“Mad Max is lurking somewhere in this story”
This prequel Furiosasubtitle A Mad Max sagapresents itself as an epic, a journey to understand the past and the motivations of the character played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road in 2015. An anti-heroine who had “stolen” the spotlight from Mad Max (Tom Hardy), ultimately secondary in the chase led by Furiosa to help the Brides of Immortan Joe escape the leader of the Citadel, hidden in his War-Rig.
Warner Bros.
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy in “Fury Road”
As soon as the prequel was announced in 2020, the question of the possible presence of the road warrior in Furiosa arises. Rumors had previously circulated about a sequel to Fury Roadcentered on Max and named The Wasteland, finally ruled out (for the moment, at least). But in a feature film set BEFORE Fury Roadwould the character have a relevant place, while his path logically never crossed that of Furiosa ? Last March, during a panel at CCXP23, George Miller had given a clue, stating that Mad Max “lurking somewhere in this story”.
Yes, Max is in Furiosa but…
He ultimately does more than prowl: yes, Mad Max is indeed in Furiosa. In a way that might seem like fan service, but goes beyond just winking. In the last part of the film, while Anya Taylor-Joy returns to the Citadel, her arm torn off, after escaping Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his motorized henchmen, she wanders the wastelands of the Wasteland. From the heights of a hill, a man’s back observes him in silence. The silhouette is recognizable among thousands, just like that of his Interceptor: Mad Max.
Warner Bros.
Max on top of the hill observing the Wasteland
The Road Warrior is not interpreted here by Tom Hardy. It’s his understudy, New Zealand stuntman Jacob Tomuri, who finds Max’s leather uniform for the occasion. He is also credited in the credits of Furiosa. And its presence, beyond delighting aficionados of the postapocalyptic universe of George Milleris directly linked to Fury Road. Present in Cannes to present the feature film out of competition, producer Doug Mitchell* explains to us:
“Max is high up, and he’s looking down. Furiosa ran away from Dementus with one arm, and she passed out, and eventually she was taken to the Citadel. He doesn’t intervene. It’s as if two lives were happening in parallel But later, in Fury Road, they meet You know, it represents the simple coincidences of life We meet today but we may have passed each other in the street yesterday and. We didn’t know that”.
A little chronological problem?
“If you remember the beginning of Fury Road”he adds, “it starts with a sequence where Max is at the top of the hill. He listens and he hears something. He gets up and crushes a lizard. He then realizes he’s being attacked. So that’s the sequence before the start from Fury Road”. There are therefore two “bridges” between Furiosa And Fury Road : the end scene and this appearance of Mad Max.
However, the imagined chronology questions the attentive viewer. Fury Road Officially taking place over four days, this means that very little time passes between this cameo by Max and his capture by the War Boys at the start of the film. A very (too?) short period for Furiosa to return to the Citadel, replace her arm, carry out her revenge against Dementus before becoming the Imperator in command of Immortan Joe’s war carrier where she secretly hides the wives of the war leader, while Max is imprisoned and transformed into a “globular” to transfuse War-Boys requiring a full hemoglobin. Four days is a bit short!
Especially since in Fury RoadFuriosa is older (Charlize Theron was 40 years old at the time of release, compared to 28 years old for Anya Taylor-Joy). We feel that she has been carrying out missions on the fury road for a long time with the blind trust of her escorts. His War-Rig is complete. And the operational Bale Mill (even though it ended up in ruins in Furiosa). So many concrete facts which do not really fit with the temporality put forward by Doug Mitchell. We quibble, of course, but it is essential in a universe (a lore one could say) as essential as the Wasteland. But whatever, Max is there, and the link with Fury Road welcome (and well seen).
Soon a film about Max?
At the end of Fury Road, precisely, Furiosa and Max’s paths parted, as the road warrior disappeared into the crowd liberated from the Citadel. A sequel, like the one that was mentioned in 2015, could therefore very well see the light of day. But a prequel is arguably more likely. Not so much on Max’s journey (for that, the Mad Max 1 / Mad Max 2 / Mad Max 3 trilogy exists and is more than recommended) as on the road that leads him to Fury Road. And at this appearance in Furiosa.
Warner Bros.
Tom Hardy ready to get back behind the wheel?
In September 2022, in an interview with The AV Club, George Miller revealed: “In preparation for Fury Road, we also wrote what happened to Max the year before Fury Road took place. And as we moved toward the end of Furiosa, chronologically speaking, we needed to see that Mad Max was hiding somewhere because we know what happened. The writers know what happened to Max that year, and we have a whole story about it that I’d like to do one day. if I have the chance”. We can’t wait to “witness” it.
*Comments collected on May 15 in Cannes by Mégane Choquet