Earlier in the week, Warner Bros. announced that it’s officially moving forward with the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa, which will star Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the warrior character made famous by Charlize Theron. The film will also star Chris Hemsworth in an undisclosed role, and the Thor actor recently opened up about what it’s like starring in a franchise that has deep roots in his home country and inspired him to become an actor.
“Pretty damn fired up to be a part of a franchise that meant the world to me as a kid growing up in Australia,” Hemsworth wrote on Instagram. “Mad Max was the pinnacle and a huge reason why I got into the business of telling stories.”
Hemsworth went on to praise franchise director George Miller and the original Mad Max, Mel Gibson, who has had some… issues over the years. “Huge respect to George, Mel, Charlize, Tom and all the cast and crew who helped build this epic world. I’ll do my best to continue the tradition of cinematic badassery.”
You can see Hemsworth’s full post below:
Frequently dubbed one of the best films of the 2010s, Mad Max: Fury Road was an action extravaganza that captivated audiences and critics alike thanks to the incredible visuals and Charlize Theron’s performance. While fans will be happy to know that most of the original creative team is returning for Furiosa, Theron has expressed disappointment that she won’t be returning to the Furiosa role. As for Miller’s reason for going the prequel route, he recently revealed that Furiosa’s future would most likely take a dark turn. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
“Campbell said that the usual story is that today’s hero becomes tomorrow’s tyrant. The hero is the agent of change. They basically relinquish self-interest in order for some common good,” said Miller. “[Campbell] basically says … you love what you’ve built, or saved, too much. You become holdfast. You become the orthodoxy. You develop the dogma and basically then you have to protect it. That tends to be the rhythm of these things.”
However, in the same interview, Miller also says Furiosa would be “too smart to fall into that trap,” so expect a lot of conflicting feelings on Theron not returning until the prequel hits. And probably even then, too.
