Furiosa star Anya Taylor-Joy on stepping into Charlize Theron’s shoes

It was announced just yesterday that Anya Taylor-Joy would be playing Furiosa in George Miller's upcoming MAD MAX: FURY ROAD prequel which will chart the origins of the character before she met up with Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). Imperator Furiosa was one of Immortan Joe's war captains in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD and was memorably played by Charlize Theron, and Taylor-Joy told told MTV's Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she's "humbled and grateful" to be following in the footsteps of Theron.

Although Anya Taylor-Joy said that she "fell in love with Furiosa" and "the way that Charlie presented her," she also knows that she needs to make the role her own. "[Charlize] did such an incredible job and it was so beautiful and I can't even think about trying to step [into her shoes]," said Taylor-Joy. "It has to be something different, because it just can't be done." We all know that production on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD was extremely challenging, and Anya Taylor-Joy is ready to match the passion and commitment shown by the cast and crew.

The first thing that went through my head when I found out I was going to do it was,' I am so excited to work so hard.' The level of commitment that has been shown before me, I endeavor to match that, and that makes me really excited.

"I've already started dreaming about her. She's coming in pretty strong," said Anya Taylor-Joy of playing Furiosa. In addition to Taylor-Joy, the MAD MAX: FURY ROAD prequel is also slated to star Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. While I'm definitely excited to see what Anya Taylor-Joy will bring to the character, there's a part of me that's still disappointed that we won't get to see Theron play the role again, and that's a disappointment shared by Theron herself. "It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making that film with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best," Theron admitted earlier this year. "Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner. We get so hung up on the smaller details that we forget the thing that we emotionally tap into has nothing to do with that minute thing that we’re focusing on."

Anya Taylor-Joy will next be seen in The Queen's Gambit, a mini-series centered around an orphaned chess prodigy that is slated to debut on Netflix on October 23rd.