Charlize Theron says she’d “love” to make a Furiosa prequel

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Discussions about the future of MAD MAX naturally center on where to take the main character, Max Rockatansky (currently played by Tom Hardy). Though he is the star, FURY ROAD introduced us to the warrior goddess that is Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), and you wouldn’t be scolded for saying she stole the show. Though the future of the series will most likely center on Max, that isn’t stopping people from wanting more of the uber-badass Furiosa – and one of those people is Theron herself.

While speaking with Variety Theron was asked about a potential Furiosa prequel, taking the character through a story that pre-dates FURY ROAD (possibly detailing how she lost her arm?), and the actress immediately expressed her enthusiasm:

I’d love to. There were three scripts. They were written as back stories to Max’s character and to Furiosa’s character. But at the end of the day, this thing lives and breathes with [director] George [Miller]. I think Warner Bros. knows that. We are all waiting for him to show us the way.

FURY ROAD would go on to make $378 million worldwide and win six Oscars, and Theron said that success helped get her new movie, ATOMIC BLONDE, on the fast track. In the movie she plays a British spy who lives to beat up Russians in 1989 Berlin, a role that furthers her action movie dominance. As for the future of MAX it’s already been said the next film will be called MAD MAX: WASTELAND, which hints it will probably not involve Furiosa’s backstory.

Theron did give some insight into the development of Furiosa though, talking about how the original version of her character was meant to have bleach-blonde hair, no eyebrows, and possibly African war paint. But in the end Theron wanted to go with something a bit more minimal, citing how her work on SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN made her want to lose her precious locks:

I had just finished a big press tour.  I’d come home — I was just so done with hair and makeup. The idea of going into a desert for 140 days, and having to do hair and makeup every single day. I was so excited about diving into this character, I didn’t want anything to hold me back from that. It think it came from that — just pure exhaustion from hair and makeup. How do I eliminate everything I possibly can and get straight to the business at hand?

Theron absolutely rocked it as Furiosa, giving us a female action hero that is rivaled only by Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley (and possibly now Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman). You can see the history of the character in her eyes, and actually getting to witness her story play out on film is something I would pay all the money I have to see. I don’t want MAX MAD to become some sort of “universe,” but Furiosa is certainly a rich character worthy of her own solo movie. To dream though…

Watch Theron kick all the ass in ATOMIC BLONDE July 28.