Let’s take a moment to remember the halcyon days of 2015 when George Miller‘s Mad Max: Fury Road barreled onto the scene after more than a decade in development, only to surprise us with Charlize Theron in the film-stealing role of Furiosa. That’s not to say Tom Hardy was a slouch in the title role; far from it. He did exactly what he needed to do to bring Miller’s vision of the fan-favorite post-apocalyptic franchise character to life in a film that was much bigger than just one man. Hardy had such a blast on Fury Road, however, that he’s now champing at the bit to return to the character.

While appearing at the ongoing TCA 2017 event to talk up his new FX series Taboo, Hardy also fielded a few questions regarding the future of the Mad Max franchise. During the panel, he confirmed that there’s much more to explore in the mythology and he’s anxiously waiting for Miller to get things rolling again. And as a bonus, in a 1-on-1 interview with our own Christina Radish, Hardy commented on his franchise film deal and the status of the two previously announced Mad Max films.

As for Hardy’s anticipation for the next installment, here’s what he said during the 1-on-1:

I’m anxiously waiting to find out. There’s mythology to do with Mad Max that spans copious amounts of tales. What’s wonderful about George [Miller] is that he’s created sagas for Max and sagas for Furiosa, so it’s what he chooses to focus in on. I’m really just waiting for the call like, “All right, let’s get the leathers on and get back out there and do some more.” It’s there. I’m just waiting for it and looking forward to it.

During the after-panel scrum, Hardy confirmed that he’s signed on for a total of three films and that the working title of Mad Max: The Wasteland might not be the final title, but the movie’s still a go:

Is Mad Max: The Wasteland happening? Yeah, as far as I’ve signed to do three of them. It’s a question of when. I’m not sure it’s called The Wasteland or not ‘cause you never know. These titles change all the time. But, there’s definitely another Mad Max project pending.

And while Hardy wasn’t going to give anything up regarding any new directions for his title character, it’s nice to know that the actor and director get along so well:

What are you excited about, with returning to that particular character?



HARDY: I love working with George [Miller] and the fact that his mythology is so deep. It’s a joy to work with an artist and somebody who has the ability to be a movie maker, as well. It’s the full package, isn’t it?

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