Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the first movie in the Mad Max franchise not to follow the story of Max Rockatansky. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) as Furiosa – the younger version of Charlize Theron’s character from Mad Max: Fury Road. Furiosa also stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as the antagonist Dementus, as well as Tom Burke (Mank), and Alyla Browne as the young version of Furiosa. Because it is a Mad Max film, it’s natural to ponder whether or not the franchise’s titular character appears. So let’s take a look at whether or not Mad Max appears in Furiosa.
You didn’t dream it, Max is in a blink-and-you-miss-it scene in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. You see Max on a cliff with his iconic vehicle, The V8 Interceptor. He’s shot from behind, so it didn’t need to be a star playing him. The Furiosa Max is played by Tom Hardy’s stunt double from Fury Road, Jacob Tomuri. Mel Gibson’s obviously too old to play the Fury Road-era Max, while Tom Hardy might not be on the best terms with everyone behind the scenes.
It’s only a cameo appearance, and it’s a non-speaking role. The point is to remind the audience that while Furiosa is becoming the woman she is in Fury Road, Max is in the wasteland, too. After all, you need to know what the titular character of a franchise is doing at all times, right? It is good to see him make an appearance that is so removed from the events of the movie, obviously allowing Max and Furiosa to meet properly during the events of Fury Road. They don’t meet in Furiosa, but it’s implied that they interact.
Of course, Max should eventually return in his own movie. George Miller has previously stated that there is a story for what Max was doing in the wasteland in the year before Fury Road. With Furiosa the fifth film in the franchise and around the same quality as Fury Road, it would be hard to believe that Miller wouldn’t make a return. We might just have to wait another nine years for it to happen. Hopefully, the wait won’t be too long this time.
Watch Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga when it releases on May 24, 2024.
