This month’s new Mad Max movie, the prequel Furiosa, will feature a cameo from the character Max Rockatansky, but he’s not played by his most recent actor, Tom Hardy. Director George Miller told ScreenRant that Hardy’s stunt double from Fury Road, Jacob Tomuri, is stepping in to play the role in Furiosa instead of Hardy.
“It was Jacob Tomuri, who was Tom Hardy’s double. 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?’ Miller said.
Hardy’s Max was a main character in Fury Road. Furiosa is a prequel that focuses on a younger version of Furiosa, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing the part after Charlize Theron portrayed her in Fury Road. Given that Max only has a small cameo role in Furiosa, it seems likely Max isn’t a central part of the story, but it’s still cool to know he will show up anyway.
Furiosa also stars Chris Hemsworth as a villain named Dementus. The movie provides an origin story for Furiosa, and the latest trailer shows some of the epic action she’ll be part of on her journey.
“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,” reads a line from the movie’s description. “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.”
Alyla Browne and Tom Burke also star in Furiosa. Miller also co-wrote the script with Fury Road’s Nico Lathouris. Behind the camera, Furiosa brings back a number of people in the costume department who won Oscars for Fury Road.
Furiosa releases in theaters on May 24, just in time for the Memorial Day long weekend in the US. International markets get the movie first, however, starting on May 22.
The Mad Max series debuted back in 1979, with Mel Gibson playing Max. Gibson came back for 1981’s Mad Max 2 and 1985’s Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome.
