Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga director George Miller recently confirmed that the upcoming prequel will feature a surprise appearance from Max Rockatansky. Except now, what could have been one of the movie's biggest talking points is no longer a surprise!
We first met the character in 1979's Mad Max where he was played by Mel Gibson. The actor went on to reprise the role in Mad Max 2 and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, with Tom Hardy taking over in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.
During a recent screening, Miller announced that Jacob Tomuri (who we've included a photo of below) will play Max in Furiosa.
"It was Jacob Tomuri, who was Tom Hardy's double [in Fury Road]," Miller told attendees (via SFFGazette.com). "He also did some other stunts. He's a New Zealand stuntman, and he was doing some other stunts on the film, and I thought, 'Who better?'"
We'd assume this means Max will only be seen from afar and it likely wasn't worth enlisting Hardy for such a small role. Miller is planning yet another prequel, once again set before the events of Fury Road, and we'd bet on him enlisting a younger actor for that project.
Furiosa takes place roughly 15 to 20 years before the 2015 classic and Max is only going to be present in Furiosa for what the filmmaker later called a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo."
The main advantage of Max's role in the movie being revealed in advance is that we can now be on the lookout for him. You'll want to check back here closer to Furiosa's release date for a breakdown of that and any other big surprises.
As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.
Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the title role, and along with Chris Hemsworth as Dementus, the film also stars Alyla Browne and Tom Burke.
Miller penned the script with Mad Max: Fury Road co-writer Nico Lathouris. The filmmaker has enlisted an impressive creative team, including several of his longtime collaborators (including costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, both of whom won an Oscar for their work on Fury Road).
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters in North America on May 24 and internationally beginning on May 22.