Surprisingly, George Miller‘s Mad Max: Fury Road not only gained huge acclaim for its spectacular action and visuals but also the introduction of a new compelling heroine. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) was a strong-hearted, skilled, and smart character in a world full of chaos and depravity. While there may be reports from Miller about having scripts/outlines ready for two sequels, Warner Bros. has not officially announced the go-ahead. Although one of the other big questions for the film’s growing fanbase is if Furiosa will return.
Fury Road had a satisfying ending for the character, with the film itself really being about her than the title character, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). Max is the only central character that reappears through the series, having had Mel Gibson in the role during the first three films. So, it remains unclear as to whether Theron will return for the eventual sequel, particularly since she and Hardy had a substantial amount of on-set tension during their debut. But in a recent interview with MTV, Theron stated that she was actually very excited about the possibility of reprising her iconic role as Furiosa.
I would love to bring her back to life, are you kidding?… To have people react to something like that where you went and worked your balls off (laughs), it’s really, really nice, it kind of just puts everything into perspective. I can see how people are responding to her and I look at my little girl and I’m like, ‘Yeah I’d love to play this woman again, definitely.
It’s exciting to consider seeing the heroine on the big screen again, but before anyone jumps too far ahead, Miller has already explained that he would like to do a film that’s more intimate and smaller before returning to the Mad Max series. And, he has not announced that Furiosa is even in the new scripts, either. Theron went on to reaffirm the comments made by Miller, while describing his shock at the fantastic reception that Fury Road received.
I haven’t seen George since the Oscars. I think all of this has been really overwhelming for him, and he likes to take his time and he’s very concise. I think if he’s ready, he’ll be ready, and hopefully he’ll call.
If the sequels do get the green light down the road, Hardy’s contract has him attached to at least two more films, but it will still be the studio’s decision in keeping that plan. Luckily, even if we never see a Mad Max 5, Fury Road was still a brilliantly-executed and self-contained story that could remain that way, no matter its future. But of all the blockbusters that are deserving of sequels nowadays, it’s hard to think of a better choice than this one.
Do you think Fury Road deserves (or needs) a sequel? Would Furiosa’s return be a good thing for the series? Blast off in the comments below.